SLEEP TEACHING AND RESEARCH COOPERATIVE

DESCRIPTION This application proposes a multidisciplinary approach to curriculum development and teaching. Educational initiatives will be targeted at medical and nursing students, residents, fellows, faculty, and physicians in practice. Sleep medicine education will be introduced or expanded in required curricula. A master syllabus in sleep medicine will be universally accessible via the "Virtual Hospital" and augmented by interactive case-based studies and real-life patient videos. Outreach will be facilitated through the use of telemedicine, utilizing the statewide fiberoptic Iowa Communications Network and the National Laboratory for Rural Telemedicine. A Sleep Update Newsletter, describing recent developments and scheduling of educational events, will be directed at target groups. Community education will be facilitated by radio, TV, and the Iowa Communications Network. Faculty development of the principal investigator (PI) and co-investigators will include attending educational programs, increasing expertise in sleep medicine, medical education and telemedicine, and strengthening teaching and evaluation skills. An Advisory Committee will facilitate the conduct of the program. The PI and an educational consultant will evaluate each part of the project and the project as a whole. A needs assessment and formative and summative evaluation will be carried out.