Adaptive tutorials versus web-based resources in radiology: a mixed methods analysis in junior doctors of efficacy and engagement

Abstract Background Radiology education is limited in undergraduate Medicine programs. Junior doctors might not have the necessary background to effectively order and interpret diagnostic imaging investigations. Furthermore, junior doctors are often time-poor, balancing clinical commitments with ongoing learning, leadership and teaching responsibilities. Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of radiology-themed online adaptive tutorials for senior medical students. Such adaptive tutorials might therefore be an efficient and effective form of radiology education for junior doctors. Methods A randomised controlled crossover trial was performed to evaluate the impact of adaptive tutorials on learning the indications for, and interpretation of, basic imaging studies, compared with peer-reviewed web-based resources. Ninety-one volunteer junior doctors, comprising 53 postgraduate year 1 (PGY 1) and 38 postgraduate year 2 (PGY 2), were randomly allocated into two groups. In the first phase of the trial, focusing on head CT, one group accessed adaptive tutorials while the other received web-based resources. In the second phase of the trial, focusing on chest CT, the groups crossed over. Following each phase of the trial, participants completed exam-style online assessments. At the conclusion of the study, participants also completed an online questionnaire regarding perceived engagement and efficacy of each type of educational resource. Results Junior doctors completed the adaptive tutorials significantly faster than the relevant web-based resources for both head CT and chest CT (p = 0.03 and < 0.01 respectively). Mean quiz scores were higher in the groups receiving adaptive tutorials on head CT and chest CT (86.4% vs 83.5 and 77.7% vs 75% respectively). However, in contrast to previous studies in senior medical students, these differences were not statistically significant. Participants reported higher engagement and perceived value of adaptive tutorials, compared with web-based resources. Conclusions Adaptive tutorials are more time-efficient than existing web-based resources for learning radiology by junior doctors, while both types of resources were equally effective for learning in this cohort. Junior doctors found the adaptive tutorials more engaging and were more likely to recommend these resources to their colleagues.

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Medical Studies during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Impact of Digital Learning on Medical Students’ Burnout and Mental Health

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18010349 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 349

Author(s):

Panagiotis Zis ◽

Artemios Artemiadis ◽

Panagiotis Bargiotas ◽

Antonios Nteveros ◽

Georgios M. Hadjigeorgiou

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Medical Students ◽

Emotional Exhaustion ◽

Short Form ◽

Maslach Burnout Inventory ◽

Junior Doctors ◽

Digital Learning ◽

Student Survey ◽

Medical Studies ◽

The Impact

Objectives: The aim of this ecological study was to investigate what the impact of digital learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic was on the burnout and overall mental health (MH) of medical students. Background: During the unprecedented era of the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of countries worldwide adopted very strong measures. Universities closed their doors, and education continued through digital learning lectures. Methods: An anonymous questionnaire was administered to all 189 eligible candidates before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health was assessed via the MH domain of the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and burnout with the Maslach Burnout Inventory—Student Survey (MBI-SS). Results: The overall response rate was 81.5%. The overall burnout prevalence did not differ significantly between the two periods (pre-COVID-19 18.1% vs. COVID-19 18.2%). However, the burnout prevalence dropped significantly in year 4 (pre-COVID-19 40.7% vs. COVID-19 16.7%, p = 0.011), whereas it increased significantly in year 6 (pre-COVID-19 27.6% vs. COVID-19 50%, p = 0.01). When looking at each MBI-SS dimension separately, we found that emotional exhaustion decreased significantly in year 4 but increased in year 6, and cynicism increased in all years. The overall MH deteriorated significantly between the two periods (pre-COVID-19 58.8 ± 21.6 vs. COVID-19 48.3 ± 23, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Digital learning in medical studies carries significant risks. Not only does the MH deteriorate, but cynicism levels also increase. Emotional exhaustion was found to increase particularly in final year students, who struggle with the lack of clinical experience just before they start working as qualified junior doctors.

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11 Filling the void: preparing future junior doctors for challenging conversations

BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care ◽

10.1136/bmjspcare-2018-mariecurie.11 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 363.3-364

Author(s):

Hannah Costelloe ◽

Alice Copley ◽

Andrew Greenhalgh ◽

Andrew Foster ◽

Pratik Solanki

Keyword(s):

Palliative Care ◽

Medical Education ◽

Medical Students ◽

Small Group ◽

End Of Life ◽

Communication Skills ◽

Skills Training ◽

Junior Doctors ◽

List Type ◽

The Impact

Evidence demonstrates that medical students have limited experience in developing ‘higher-order communication skills’ (Kaufman et al. 2000). Anecdotally many do not feel confident in their ability to conduct difficult conversations often due to a lack of exposure to such scenarios in practice or a pervasive notion that these scenarios are inappropriate for students and beyond the scope of a junior doctor’s role and thus not a focus of curriculums (Noble et al. 2007). There is however a correlation between level of clinical experience and improved confidence for medical students (Morgan and Cleave-Hogg 2002).We surveyed a group of final year medical students to assess their confidence using a 10-point Likert scale in tackling common palliative and end of life care scenarios. Our intervention comprised a study day of 10 practical small-group teaching simulation and OSCE-style stations designed to provide exposure to common experiences in a controlled setting. We reassessed the confidence of students after delivery and objectively explored the impact of the day by asking participants to complete a validated assessment before and after the course. All results showed significant improvement on t-testing: confidence in end of life communication in an OSCE setting improved by 42.2% and assessment marks improved by 24.7% (p=0.039).Palliative care is an area in which students approaching the end of undergraduate training feel underprepared. Our findings demonstrate that small group sessions improve confidence by facilitating communication practice in a controlled environment and providing crucial exposure to common palliative care scenarios they will face as doctors.References. Kaufman D, Laidlaw T, Macleod H. Communication skills in medical school: Exposure confidence and performance. Academic Medicine [online] 2000;75(10):S90–S92. Available at https://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/Fulltext/2000/10001/Communication_Skills_in_Medical_School__Exposure.29.aspx [Accessed: 30 May 2018]. Morgan P, Cleave-Hogg D. Comparison between medical students’ experience confidence and competence. Medical Education [online] 2002;36(6):534–539. Available at https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2923.2002.01228.x [Accessed: 30 May 2018]. Noble L, Kubacki A, Martin J, Lloyd M. The effect of professional skills training on patient-centredness and confidence in communicating with patients. Medical Education [online] 2007;41(5):432–440. Available at https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2929.2007.02704.x [Accessed: 30 May 2018]

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The impact of the Virtual Ophthalmology Clinic on medical students’ learning: a randomised controlled trial

Eye ◽

10.1038/eye.2013.143 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 27 (10) ◽

pp. 1151-1157 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

T Succar ◽

G Zebington ◽

F Billson ◽

K Byth ◽

S Barrie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Randomised Controlled Trial ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Randomised Controlled ◽

The Impact

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Comparison of the Impact of Wikipedia, UpToDate, and a Digital Textbook on Short-Term Knowledge Acquisition Among Medical Students: Randomized Controlled Trial of Three Web-Based Resources (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.8188 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Michael A Scaffidi ◽

Rishad Khan ◽

Christopher Wang ◽

Daniela Keren ◽

Cindy Tsui ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Knowledge Acquisition ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Short Term ◽

Web Based ◽

Canadian Medical School ◽

Digital Textbook ◽

The Impact

BACKGROUND Web-based resources are commonly used by medical students to supplement curricular material. Three commonly used resources are UpToDate (Wolters Kluwer Inc), digital textbooks, and Wikipedia; there are concerns, however, regarding Wikipedia’s reliability and accuracy. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of Wikipedia use on medical students’ short-term knowledge acquisition compared with UpToDate and a digital textbook. METHODS This was a prospective, nonblinded, three-arm randomized trial. The study was conducted from April 2014 to December 2016. Preclerkship medical students were recruited from four Canadian medical schools. Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants through word of mouth, social media, and email. Participants must have been enrolled in their first or second year of medical school at a Canadian medical school. After recruitment, participants were randomized to one of the three Web-based resources: Wikipedia, UpToDate, or a digital textbook. During testing, participants first completed a multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ) of 25 questions emulating a Canadian medical licensing examination. During the MCQ, participants took notes on topics to research. Then, participants researched topics and took written notes using their assigned resource. They completed the same MCQ again while referencing their notes. Participants also rated the importance and availability of five factors pertinent to Web-based resources. The primary outcome measure was knowledge acquisition as measured by posttest scores. The secondary outcome measures were participants’ perceptions of importance and availability of each resource factor. RESULTS A total of 116 medical students were recruited. Analysis of variance of the MCQ scores demonstrated a significant interaction between time and group effects (P<.001, ηg2=0.03), with the Wikipedia group scoring higher on the MCQ posttest compared with the textbook group (P<.001, d=0.86). Access to hyperlinks, search functions, and open-source editing were rated significantly higher by the Wikipedia group compared with the textbook group (P<.001). Additionally, the Wikipedia group rated open access editing significantly higher than the UpToDate group; expert editing and references were rated significantly higher by the UpToDate group compared with the Wikipedia group (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS Medical students who used Wikipedia had superior short-term knowledge acquisition compared with those who used a digital textbook. Additionally, the Wikipedia group trended toward better posttest performance compared with the UpToDate group, though this difference was not significant. There were no significant differences between the UpToDate group and the digital textbook group. This study challenges the view that Wikipedia should be discouraged among medical students, instead suggesting a potential role in medical education.

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Comparison of an e-learning package with lecture-based teaching in the management of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT): a randomised controlled study

Postgraduate Medical Journal ◽

10.1136/postgradmedj-2020-139003 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. postgradmedj-2020-139003

Author(s):

Kevin Mohee ◽

Hasan N Haboubi ◽

Majd Protty ◽

Christopher Srinivasan ◽

William Townend ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Supraventricular Tachycardia ◽

Controlled Study ◽

Undergraduate Medical Students ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Graduate Entry ◽

Randomised Controlled Study ◽

E Learning ◽

Randomised Controlled ◽

The Impact

IntroductionTo compare the impact of an e-learning package with theoretical teaching on the ability of both graduate and undergraduate medical students to learn the management of supraventricular tachycardia.MethodsWe conducted a randomised, controlled, study at two Welsh medical schools. Participants were graduate-entry and undergraduate medical students, who were randomised (in a 1:1 ratio) to either 1 hour of training using an e-learning package or an hour of lecture-based teaching. The outcome was a comparison, within each group and between groups, of median scores achieved in assessments of knowledge through completion of preintervention, immediate post intervention and 2 weeks postintervention questionnaires.ResultsOf the 97 participants available for randomisation, 47 underwent teaching using the e-learning package and 50 were taught in the lecture group. Median scores were higher in the e-learning package group than the lecture group, though this difference was not statistically significant (4.00 vs 3.00; p=0.08) immediately after intervention. At 2 weeks post intervention, median scores in the e-learning package group were significantly higher than the median scores in the lecture group (4.00 vs 3.00; p=0.002). This was despite a subanalysis of the results demonstrating that subjects in the lecture group reported having seen more cases compared with those in the e-learning group (32 vs 13; p=0.002). Further, there was a significant fall in score over 2 weeks in the group receiving lecture-based teaching, but no such decrease in those using the e-learning package.ConclusionE-learning seems to be the preferred method of learning and the method that confers longer retention time for both postgraduate and undergraduate medical students.

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Comparing Blended Learning with Faculty-Led Ultrasound Training: Protocol for a Randomised Controlled Trial (The SIGNATURE Trial)

Praxis ◽

10.1024/1661-8157/a003497 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 109 (8) ◽

pp. 636-640

Author(s):

Roman Hari ◽

Kaspar Kälin ◽

Michael Harris ◽

Robin Walter ◽

Andreas Serra

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Randomised Controlled Trial ◽

Blended Learning ◽

Teaching Method ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Abdominal Ultrasound ◽

Undergraduate Curriculum ◽

Undergraduate Medical Students ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Randomised Controlled

Abstract. Background: Ultrasound is increasingly used in clinical practice as a bedside tool. As medical graduates first encounter the technique in early residency, ultrasound training needs to be integrated into the undergraduate curriculum. In Switzerland, abdominal ultrasound skills have been taught by a faculty-led, 21-hour course. However, this course does not have sufficient capacity to meet the increasing demand, and there have been doubts about its effectiveness as a teaching method. We therefore developed a 21-hour blended-learning course, comprising five hours of e-learning and 16 hours of near-peer tutoring. This study investigates whether this new teaching format is as good as, or superior to, the faculty-led method. Methods: The SIGNATURE study is an investigator-initiated, two-arm, randomised controlled trial, enrolling 152 medical students at the Universities of Bern, Fribourg and Zurich. Stratified by study site, students are 1:1 randomised to either the blended-learning course or the faculty-led 2.5-day ultrasound course. Students undergo a six-station objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) and complete an online questionnaire immediately after the course and 6 months later. Discussion: If demonstrated to be effective, the blended-learning course would allow an increase in the number of undergraduate medical students that can acquire ultrasound skills before starting their residencies.

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Medical Students’ Commitment during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: Preparedness, Motivation, and Impact on Students’ Skills

10.21203/rs.3.rs-37069/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Lukas Müller ◽

Markus Heymanns ◽

Laura Harder ◽

Julia Winter ◽

Stephan Gehring ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Medical Curriculum ◽

Medical Center ◽

Care Staff ◽

Health Care Staff ◽

Web Based ◽

The University ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background: During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, many authors have suggested a commitment of medical students to support overworked health care staff. However, whether the students are prepared for such an occupation remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate medical students’ preparedness for a commitment in the pandemic and to assess the impact on their skills and attitudes.Methods: In April 2020, the CoronaPreventMainz (CPM) study was initiated to test 3300 employees with direct patient contact at the University Medical Center Mainz. To accomplish the huge logistic effort, medical students were recruited as support staff.Using a web-based questionnaire, the participating students were asked 27 questions covering six different topics.Results: Of the 75 recruited students, 63 (84.0%) participated in this survey. The median age was 24 years, and 66.6% (n = 42) were female. The vast majority agreed that students should be used as voluntary helpers during this crisis (87.3%) and had the feeling of contributing in the fight against the pandemic (90.5%). Most of the students (80.6%) even reported an improvement in their practical skills. Fear of self-infection was low (7.9%), and overextending situations occurred for just 3.2%. However, less than one-fifth (19.4%) of the students felt prepared for the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic by medical school, and two-thirds (67.7%) demanded special preparation. Conclusion: Through their commitment, the medical students felt that they were taking part in the fight against the pandemic. However, only a few felt well-prepared by medical school and the students’ need for special preparation courses is huge. Therefore, single-center initiatives can only be the beginning. Dedicated courses on how to support health care staff in natural disasters should be integrated into the medical curriculum to better prepare medical students for the next crisis.

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Attending Physician Perceptions of the Benefits and Disadvantages of Teaching Medical Students on Clinical Clerkships at a Regional Medical Campus

Journal of Regional Medical Campuses ◽

10.24926/jrmc.v1i2.1286 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

Author(s):

William Cathcart-Rake

Keyword(s):

Job Satisfaction ◽

Medical Students ◽

Underserved Populations ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Healthcare Needs ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

Regional Medical ◽

Attending Physicians ◽

The Impact ◽

Clinic Hospital

BACKGROUND: North American medical schools are now creating regional medical campuses (RMCs) to train more physicians to meet the healthcare needs of rural and underserved populations. Part-time and volunteer faculty must be recruited and retained to teach medical students engaged in clinical experiences at these RMCs. Physician educators report being positively motivated by the presence of medical students but also report increased time constraints. There is a paucity of information regarding the impact on attending physicians of teaching medical students at RMCs. The aim of this study was to investigate the benefits and disadvantages for attending physicians at a rural regional medical campus on having medical students on their services during clinical rotations. METHODS: An online questionnaire was sent to 62 Kansas University School of Medicine-Salina (KUSM-S) clinical faculty members that supervised third and/or fourth year medical students in clinics and/or the hospital. Physicians were queried as to the benefits and disadvantages of supervising medical students. RESULTS: Thirty-six physicians completed the survey, yielding a response rate of 58%. The majority of respondents felt positively about having medical students on their service: 92% of respondents enjoyed having medical students in clinic/hospital, 81% agreed that having a medical student working with them was personally beneficial, and 72% agreed that the presence of medical students increased their job satisfaction. Fifty-six percent of respondents reported that having medical students with them in the clinic/hospital decreased the number of patients they were able to see and that additional incentive would encourage them to remain a teaching faculty member. CONCLUSIONS: Attending physicians at KUSM-S report that they enjoy having medical students on their service and that it increases job satisfaction; however, teaching medical students is time consuming and may decrease productivity. Adequate financial compensation for physician teachers at RMCs may be necessary to ensure successful delivery of the educational product.

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Development and Validation of an Emotional Intelligence Test for Medical Students

Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies ◽

10.9734/ajess/2021/v17i330424 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 37-47

Author(s):

R. Deepa ◽

Anuja S. Panicker

Keyword(s):

Emotional Intelligence ◽

Medical Students ◽

Predictive Validity ◽

Medical Curriculum ◽

Reliability And Validity ◽

Medical Professionals ◽

Second Phase ◽

Retest Reliability ◽

Test Retest Reliability ◽

The Impact

Aims: Emotional intelligence is an important ability that has to be fostered among medical professionals. To foster an ability, it has to be assessed. The tests/tools already available are culture-sensitive and context-sensitive. Hence there is a need to develop a test to assess the emotional intelligence abilities of medical students. This paper describes a multiphase study in which an instrument was developed to assess the emotional intelligence of medical students. Study Design: The study was done in four phases. The first three phases were to develop the instrument and establish its reliability and validity. The fourth phase was to demonstrate the predictive validity of the developed instrument. Place and Duration of Study: A private teaching hospital in South India; Two years. Methodology: In the first phase, the emotional challenges of medical students (n =55) were understood to develop the situations for the situational judgment tests. In the second phase, the instrument was developed with 38 items contributing to the constructs of EI. In the third phase, a pilot study was conducted, in which the developed tool was administered on a sample of 150 medical students. The data was used to verify the content validity, construct validity, internal consistency reliability (0.8), and predictive validity. In the fourth phase (n = 102) the test-retest reliability (with a ten-month interval between the tests) and the predictive validity (established by studying the association between EI measured with the tool and the academic performance of respondents) of the purified instrument were studied. Results: A tool to assess the EI of medical students was developed. The tool demonstrated test-retest reliability (0.6) and predictive validity (r = 0.29; P < .01). Conclusion: The tool would provide a premise for the development of training programs and their inclusion in the medical curriculum, which in turn would yield medical professionals who can deliver enhanced patient care. The study also showed the impact of EI on the academic achievement of medical students and hence their knowledge and skills will also be improved by including EI in their curriculum.

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The Impact of IT Developments on Space Usage in Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) Library

10.26686/wgtn.17003791.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Fred Ping-Him Ling

Keyword(s):

Group Work ◽

Female Students ◽

Online Resources ◽

Individual Study ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Web Based ◽

Print Materials ◽

Institute Of Technology ◽

Physical Spaces ◽

The Impact

<p>There are numerous claims of whether physical spaces of academic libraries still required as more resources moved from print to electronic. This project set out to investigate the impact of IT developments on space usage in Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) Library in order to help librarians and space planners to manage the physical spaces better, and improve existing spaces. They will be able to make informed decisions when planning for future use of spaces. A web based questionnaire was used to collect data on who was using the library and the activities in which they are engaged. There were 261 complete responses to the questionnaire. The researcher also conducted interviews with the Associate Librarian and the Institute Librarian from MIT Library on asking them how they have planed and managed the physical spaces in MIT Library. In addition, the researcher also examined the MIT Library statistics: Data in relations to volumes of print serial and monograph acquired, total number of issues, total number of library visits, total reference enquiries from 2003 to 2008 was analysed and then presented in charts, graphs and tables. The majority of respondents from the online questionnaire were found to be undergraduate fulltime students between the age of 20-25, and they were mainly female students. More than half of the respondents reported they can easily find the place to carry out individual study and group work. However, some respondents commented that in certain times of the year (for example, assignments/exams period) it is very difficult to find a place for individual study and/or group work. The majority of the respondents also reported they mainly come to the library to work on their assignments and study for tests/exams. The Institute Librarian and Associate Librarian mentioned that instead of just storing print materials, the physical spaces is also required to house more computers to access online resources, for quiet study space and group study rooms, and to provide more electrical outlets to access wireless using laptops. The conclusion reached was that the physical spaces of MIT Library still remains essential even through more resources has moved from print to electronic.</p>

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