Teaching the pelvic organ prolapse quantitation system

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the ease with which the new Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantitation system could be teamed by residents and medical students. STUDY DESIGN: Standardized multiple-choice tests were administered to 51 obstetric and gynecology residents and medical students from 4 community-based and university-based programs. Parallel pretests and posttests were administered in conjunction with a 17-minute video demonstration of the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantitation system and with the addition of a visual memory aid. The posttest was repeated 3 months after the video presentation. RESULTS: The use of a 17-minute video significantly enhanced participants' ability to interpret examination findings when expressed in the terminology of the system (mean improvement in scores 33%, P <.0001). Posttest scores were similar regardless of the type of program or exposure to urogynecology faculty. These scores were maintained at the 3-month retesting. CONCLUSION: The Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantitation system can be effectively taught by means of a public-domain video presentation.