Peer-assisted learning in simulation-based medical education: a mixed-methods exploratory study

2020 ◽  
pp. bmjstel-2020-000645
Author(s):  
Leo Nunnink ◽  
Andrea Thompson ◽  
Nemat Alsaba ◽  
Victoria Brazil
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Perceived Benefits ◽  
Simulated Environment ◽  
Simulation Based ◽  
Peer Teachers

IntroductionPeer-assisted learning (PAL) is well described in medical education but there has been little research on its application in simulation-based education (SBE). This exploratory study aimed to determine the perceptions of senior medical students at two universities to teaching and learning in SBE using PAL (PAL-SBE).MethodsNinety-seven medical students at two universities working in small groups with facilitator oversight wrote, ran and debriefed a simulation scenario for their peers.This was a mixed-methods study. Participants completed a written free-text and Likert survey instrument, and participated in a facilitated focus group immediately after the scenario. Thematic analysis was performed on the free-text and focus group transcripts.ResultsStudent-led scenarios ran without major technical issues. Instructor presence was required throughout scenario delivery and debrief, making the exercise resource intensive. Participant responses were more positive regarding learning as peer teachers in simulation than they were regarding participation as a peer learner. Five themes were identified: learning in the simulated environment; teaching in the simulated environment; teaching peers and taking on an educator role; learning from peers; and time and effort expended. Perceived benefits included learning in depth through scenario writing, improved knowledge retention, understanding the patient’s perspective and learning to give feedback through debriefing.ConclusionPAL in SBE is feasible and was perceived positively by students. Perceived benefits appear to be greater for the peer teachers than for peer learners.

scholarly journals P022: The revised METRIQ Score: an international, social-media based usability analysis of a quality evaluation instrument for medical education blogs

CJEM ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (S1) ◽  
pp. S64-S64
Author(s):  
I. Colmers-Gray ◽  
K. Krishnan ◽  
T. M. Chan ◽  
N. Trueger ◽  
M. Paddock ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Assessment Instrument ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Evaluation Instrument ◽  
Usability Analysis ◽  
Blog Posts

Introduction: Online medical education resources are widely used in emergency medicine (EM), but strategies to assess quality remain elusive. We previously derived the Medical Education Translational Resources: Impact and Quality (METRIQ) 8 instrument to evaluate quality in medical education blog posts. Methods: As part of a subsequent validation study (The METRIQ Blog Study), a mixed-methods usability analysis was performed to obtain user feedback on the quality assessment instrument in order to improve its clarity and reliability. Participants in the METRIQ Study were first asked to rate five blog posts using the METRIQ-8 Score. They then evaluated the METRIQ-8 instruments ease of use and likelihood of being recommended to others using a 7-point Likert scale and free text comments. Participants were also asked to flag and comment on items within the score that they felt were unclear. Global usability ratings were summarized using median scores or percent rated unclear. We used ANOVA to test associations between ease of use and demographic factors. A thematic analysis was performed on the comments. Results: 309 EM medical students, residents, and attendings completed the survey. Global ratings were generally very favorable (median 2 [IQR 2-3], with 7 being the lowest score) for ease of use and likelihood of recommendation, and did not vary by participants country of origin, frequency of blog use, or learner level. Participants stated that the score was structured, systematic, and straightforward. They found it useful for junior learners and for guiding blog creation. Four questions in the score (questions 2, 4, 5, and 7) were identified by 10% of subjects to be unclear. Thematic analysis of comments identified suggested four main themes for improving the score: adding clearer definitions with marking rubrics; shortening the 7-point scale; adding items evaluating blog post presentation and utility; and, rephrasing the wording of certain questions for clarity. Conclusion: A mixed methods usability analysis of the METRIQ-8 instrument for assessing blog quality was globally well received by EM medical students, residents, and attendings. Qualitative analyses revealed multiple areas to improve the instruments clarity and usability. The METRIQ score is a promising instrument for evaluating the quality of blogs; further development and testing is needed to improve its utility.

scholarly journals Medical students' perception of simulation-based assessment in emergency and paediatric medicine: a focus group study.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Laure Philippon ◽  
Jennifer Truchot ◽  
Nathalie De Suremain ◽  
Marie-Christine Renaud ◽  
Arnaud Petit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Medicine ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Undergraduate Medical Students ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
High Quality ◽  
High Stakes ◽  
Simulation Based

Abstract Background Simulation-based assessment is scarcely used for undergraduate medical students. We created a simulation-based assessment to validate medical students’ technical and psychometrics’ skills, during their emergency medicine and pediatric curriculum. The aim of our study was to collect medical students’ perception on this novel assessment.Methods This is a qualitative study that includes 9 focus groups among the 215 students who participated in either a pediatric or an emergency medicine simulation-based-course. These sessions ended by an assessment on a manikin. Among the 40 students who were randomly selected to participate in the focus groups, 30 agreed to participate. Data were analyzed using grounded theory and, data were coded the by two independent investigators.Results Seven major and two minor themes emerged from the focus groups. The importance of being certified by simulation to be more self-confident in hospital clerkships, the perception of simulation-based assessment as a high quality assessment, the contribution of the simulation-based assessment to change students’ practices and enhance their engagement in their curriculum and a disappointment because simulation-based assessment didn’t help student for the faculty high stakes assessments. Some students also found that simulation-based assessment was a stressful and unfair exercise. The last discussion was about practical issues of the assessment such as this normative way, and about the importance of the feedback.Conclusion The students reported positive aspects of the simulation-based assessment method such as helpful for their hospital clerkship, change of their practices and way of learning. However they also reported that it might be a biased and a stressful assessment method.

scholarly journals The Role of Music in Everyday Life During the First Wave of the Coronavirus Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Exploratory Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Carlson ◽  
Johanna Wilson ◽  
Margarida Baltazar ◽  
Deniz Duman ◽  
Henna-Riikka Peltola ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Emotional Responses ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Music Listening ◽  
Musical Engagement ◽  
Listening Behaviors

Although music is known to be a part of everyday life and a resource for mood and emotion management, everyday life has changed significantly for many due to the global coronavirus pandemic, making the role of music in everyday life less certain. An online survey in which participants responded to Likert scale questions as well as providing free text responses was used to explore how participants were engaging with music during the first wave of the pandemic, whether and how they were using music for mood regulation, and how their engagement with music related to their experiences of worry and anxiety resulting from the pandemic. Results indicated that, for the majority of participants, while many felt their use of music had changed since the beginning of the pandemic, the amount of their music listening behaviors were either unaffected by the pandemic or increased. This was especially true of listening to self-selected music and watching live streamed concerts. Analysis revealed correlations between participants’ use of mood for music regulation, their musical engagement, and their levels of anxiety and worry. A small number of participants described having negative emotional responses to music, the majority of whom also reported severe levels of anxiety.

The Medical Student Experience in the Era of COVID-19: Reflections on the Transformation of Medical Education

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aisha Terry ◽  
Janet Miller ◽  
Stephanie Rodriguez ◽  
Mairin Haley ◽  
Sivan Ben-Maimon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Student ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Innovative Technology ◽  
Student Perspective ◽  
Student Wellness ◽  
Medical Education Reform

Abstract Phenomenon: The American medical student perspective on the coronavirus pandemic, particularly in terms of its effects on medical education and future curricular approach, is valuable. This study seeks to provide future physicians with a voice to share their personal experience with distance learning and suggestions for medical education reform in the era of COVID-19. Approach: A virtual focus group of medical students was conducted on April 30, 2020. Each student was asked to broadly and candidly reflect on their personal experiences relative to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to specifically expound upon how their personal growth and medical education has been impacted. Consent was obtained. Data was coded by key ideas and themes. The content of the discussion was analyzed. Findings: Seven third-year medical students attending a United States traditional school of medicine consented to participate. All participants provided extensive responses to the question. The focus group lasted for 2 hours. The group expounded upon five self-initiated themes: guilt, anxiety, self-awareness, volunteerism, and autonomy. Analysis of these themes from the context of medical student wellness and the future of medical curricula led to the conclusion that three general concepts should be emphasized in reforming medical education. Insights: The coronavirus pandemic has uniquely affected medical students. Their perspectives can inform medical education reform relative to curricular design and student wellness. Key concepts to consider include prioritizing routine virtual delivery of content through innovative technology, encouraging increased student autonomy and self-directed learning through less prescriptive schedules, and emphasizing reflection training and sharing.

Can first-year medical students acquire quality improvement knowledge prior to substantial clinical exposure? A mixed-methods evaluation of a pre-clerkship curriculum that uses education as the context for learning

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (7) ◽  
pp. 576-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Brown ◽  
Aditya Nidumolu ◽  
Alexandra Stanhope ◽  
Justin Koh ◽  
Matthew Greenway ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Health System ◽  
Future Research ◽  
First Year ◽  
Clinical Scenarios ◽  
First Year Medical Students ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundQuality Improvement (QI) training for health professionals is essential to strengthen health systems. However, QI training during medical school is constrained by students’ lack of contextual understanding of the health system and an already saturated medical curriculum. The Program for Improvement in Medical Education (PRIME), an extracurricular offered at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicineat McMaster University (Hamilton, Canada), addresses these obstacles by having first-year medical students engage in QI by identifying opportunities for improvement within their own education.MethodsA sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach, which combines insights derived from quantitative instruments and qualitative interview methods, was used to examine the impact of PRIME on first-year medical students and the use of QI in the context of education.ResultsThe study reveals that participation in PRIME increases both knowledge of, and comfort with, fundamental QI concepts, even when applied to clinical scenarios. Participants felt that education provided a meaningful context to learn QI at this stage of their training, and were motivated to participate in future QI projects to drive real-world improvements in the health system.ConclusionsEarly exposure to QI principles that uses medical education as the context may be an effective intervention to foster QI competencies at an early stage and ultimately promote engagement in clinical QI. Moreover, PRIME also provides a mechanism to drive improvements in medical education. Future research is warranted to better understand the impact of education as a context for later engagement in clinical QI applications as well as the potential for QI methods to be translated directly into education.

Simulation of Pediatric Life-Threatening Emergency Scenarios (SimPLES): The Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of an Undergraduate Immersive Simulation-Based Educational Intervention

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Prashant Kumar ◽  
Simon Chitnis ◽  
Louise Lawrence ◽  
Niamh Langasco ◽  
Neil McGowan
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Pediatric Patients ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Technical Skills ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Simulation Based ◽  
Clinical Workplace ◽  
Emergency Scenarios ◽  
The Impact

Background: Clinical exposure to acutely unwell pediatric patients is often limited during undergraduate medical training. Although limited within undergraduate pediatric curricula, simulation-based education (SBE) offers a tool with which such exposure can be achieved in a safe and effective learning environment. This study describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of an undergraduate multi-center immersive pediatric SBE course. Objectives: We sought to increase medical students’ exposure to acutely unwell pediatric patients and provide practical experience to improve their understanding of the importance of non-technical skills within the clinical workplace, such as teamwork, communication skills, leadership, and situational awareness. Furthermore, we sought to evaluate the impact on students’ confidence in assessing and managing acutely unwell pediatric patients while exploring their perceptions and opinions of the course. Methods: The present study included all final-year students who were on a pediatric clinical placement during the study period. Tutorials on pediatric A-E assessment and fluid management were followed by a series of immersive simulation scenarios and structured debriefs, concentrating on the importance of non-technical skills in the clinical workplace. Also, some mini-tutorials were incorporated into the course design, focussing on the technical and pathophysiological aspects of each presentation. We employed a mixed-method research methodology to evaluate the impact of the course. Also, anonymized post-course and free-text feedback was sought to explore students’ experiences and perceptions of the course. Results: All 80 students completed the pre and post-course confidence questionnaires, reporting statistically significant improvements in confidence across all 11 domains tested. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data identified six core themes: knowledge acquisition, the value of debriefing, the importance of non-technical skills, the value of faculty expertise, the value of repeated practice, and opportunities for exposure to pediatrics. The innovative post-scenario mini-tutorials were favorably received. Conclusions: Our study shows that immersive SBE can improve medical students’ confidence in managing pediatric emergency scenarios. Also, incorporating mini-tutorials within an immersive simulation course design in an undergraduate setting can be helpful and well received by students.

scholarly journals A mixed methods exploratory study of women’s relationships with and uses of fertility tracking apps

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 205520761878507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie Gambier-Ross ◽  
David J McLernon ◽  
Heather M Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Fertility Treatment ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
Women's Relationships ◽  
Data Informed

Digital self-tracking is rising, including tracking of menstrual cycles by women using fertility tracking apps (FTAs). However, little is known about users’ experiences of FTAs and their relationships with them. The aim of this study was to explore women’s uses of and relationships with FTAs. This exploratory study employed a mixed methods approach, involving the collection and analysis of an online survey and follow-up interviews. Qualitative analysis of survey and interview data informed hypothesis development. Online surveys yielded 241 responses and 11 follow-up interviews were conducted. Just over a third of women surveyed had experience of using FTAs (89/241) and follow-up interviews were conducted with a proportion of respondents (11/241). Four main motivations to use FTAs were identified: (a) to observe cycle (72%); (b) to conceive (34%); (c) to inform fertility treatment (12%); and (d) as contraception (4%). Analysis of the free-text survey questions and interviews using grounded theory methodology highlighted four themes underpinning women’s relationships with FTAs: (a) medical grounding; (b) health trackers versus non-trackers; (c) design; and (d) social and ethical aspects. Participants who used other health apps were more likely to use FTAs ( p = 0.001). Respondents who used contraception were less likely to use FTAs compared with respondents who did not use contraception ( p = 0.002). FTA usage also decreases ( p = 0.001) as age increases. There was no association between FTA usage and menstrual status ( p = 0.259). This research emphasises the differing motivations for FTA use. Future research should further explore the diverse relationships between different subgroups of women and FTAs.

scholarly journals Perceptions of Digital Health Education Among European Medical Students: Mixed Methods Survey (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Machleid ◽  
Robert Kaczmarczyk ◽  
Doreen Johann ◽  
Justinas Balčiūnas ◽  
Beatriz Atienza-Carbonell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Education ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Medical Studies ◽  
Health Technologies

BACKGROUND Digital health technologies hold promise to enhance patient-related outcomes, to support health care staff by reducing their workload, and to improve the coordination of care. As key users of digital health technologies, health care workers are crucial to enable a meaningful digital transformation of health care. Digital health literacy and digital skills should become prerequisite competencies for health professionals to facilitate the implementation and leverage the potential of digital technologies to improve health. OBJECTIVE We aimed to assess European medical students’ perceived knowledge and opinions toward digital health, the status of digital health implementation in medical education, and the students’ most pressing needs. METHODS The explanatory design of our mixed methods study was based on an online, anonymous, self-administered survey targeted toward European medical students. A linear regression analysis was used to identify the influence of the year of medical studies on the responses. Additional analysis was performed by grouping the responses by the self-evaluated frequency of eHealth technology use. Written responses to four qualitative questions in the survey were analyzed using an inductive approach. RESULTS The survey received a total of 451 responses from 39 European countries, and there were respondents for every year of medical studies. The majority of respondents saw advantages in the use of digital health. While 40.6% (183/451) felt prepared to work in a digitized health care system, more than half (240/451, 53.2%) evaluated their eHealth skills as poor or very poor. Medical students considered lack of education to be the reason for this, with 84.9% (383/451) agreeing or strongly agreeing that more digital health education should be implemented in the medical curriculum. Students demanded introductory and specific eHealth courses covering data management, ethical aspects, legal frameworks, research and entrepreneurial opportunities, role in public health and health systems, communication skills, and practical training. The emphasis lay on tailoring learning to future job requirements and interprofessional education. CONCLUSIONS This study shows a lack of digital health-related formats in medical education and a perceived lack of digital health literacy among European medical students. Our findings indicate a gap between the willingness of medical students to take an active role by becoming key players in the digital transformation of health care and the education that they receive through their faculties.

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