To assess the feasibility of group text messaging as a teaching tool to improve neurology resident knowledge and clinical pearl dissemination in the outpatient setting.

Inpatient neurology teaching during training is most often accomplished in team settings during rounds or conferences such as morning report, but outpatient teaching may be less consistently performed in such a setting where learning points may be shared. Text messaging is a highly efficient means of communication in an increasingly technologically advanced health care delivery environment. However, few studies have evaluated whether group text messaging can be an innovative tool for teaching in residency training.

Neurology residents in a continuity clinic pod at New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Campus were included in this cohort from December 2020 through September 2023. Fully deidentified group text messages were sent to the resident pod by the clinic preceptor immediately after each clinic session featuring one key learning point relevant to each patient encounter.

A total of 198 text messages were sent. Encounters included new patients (27%) and follow up visits (73%); 93% were in-person and 7% were telemedicine appointments. 53% of messages were related to diagnosis and 51% to treatment. Text message topics covered a variety of neurological subspecialties, most commonly headache (44%), general neurology (16%), and neuromuscular (14%).

Reinforcement of traditionally one-on-one learning points in a teaching outpatient setting to engage a group of residents was feasible across visit types. Clinical pearls more often related to follow-up visits and were nearly evenly split between content pertaining to diagnosis versus treatment of neurological diseases. Residents are currently being surveyed on their satisfaction with this teaching method and whether these text messages improved their outpatient neurology knowledge and influenced care of patients moving forward.