Assessing Resident Knowledge Regarding Screening Prior to Initiation of Biologic Agents

Summary: Introduction: Biologics are essential immunologic medications used for many conditions across several specialties and have prerequisite screening tests that must be done before its use. Before initiating biologics, it is necessary to screen for certain diseases, such as Tuberculosis and Hepatitis, given the risk of reactivation due to immunosuppression with Biologics. Our study, with the primary goal of enhancing resident knowledge and improving pre-screening of diseases, aims to boost workflow efficiency, foster proactive screening, and expedite timely intervention for patients. Methods: We assessed resident knowledge with a pre-survey with the following questions: 1) Which of the following are biologic agents? 2) What labs are required before initiating biologic agents? 3) Prior to starting Biologics, what labs are needed to screen for Hepatitis B Status? We then had a 5-minute lecture on educating about these questions and had a post-survey after the teaching session. Results: For the pre-teaching results, 47 residents answered the survey questions. 13 residents answered correctly for question 1 (13/47), 5 of them answered correctly for question 2 (5/47), and 37 of them answered correctly for question 3 (37/47). The post-teaching results are as follows: 32/41 answered question 1 correctly, 37/41 answered question 2 correctly, and 37/41 answered question 3 correctly. Discussion: The knowledge gap we've identified in pre-biologic screening poses significant risks to patient care. It can lead to delays in appropriate medication initiation, adding to the economic burden on both patients and the healthcare system. By not screening for prior latent diseases, we risk incurring additional costs and delaying the initiation of Biologics. This urgent issue underscores the need for our intervention, which aims to enhance workflow efficiency, promote proactive screening, and expedite timely patient intervention.