Abstract
IntroductionOur goal was to describe the structure, process, platforms, and piloting period activities of the International Emergency Medicine (iEM) Education Project, which is a Free Open Access Medical Education (FOAM) initiative designed for medical students.MethodsThis was a descriptive study. We analyzed the activity data of iEM Education Project platforms (website and image, video, audio archives) in the piloting period (June 1, 2018–August 31, 2018). Studied variables included the total and monthly views, views by country and continents, the official languages of the countries where platforms were played, and their income levels.ResultsPlatforms were viewed or played 38,517 times by users from 123 countries. The total views and plays were 8,185, 11,896, and 18,436 in June, July, and August, respectively. We observed a monthly increasing trend in all platforms. Image archive and website were viewed the most. All platforms were dominantly viewed from Asia and North America, high- and upper-middle-income countries, and non-English speaking countries. However, there were no statistically significant differences between continents, income levels, or language in platforms, except for the website, the project’s main hub, which showed a strong trend for difference between income levels (Kruskal-Wallis, P = 0.05). Website views were higher in high-income countries compared with low- and lower-middle income countries (Mann Whitney U test, P = 0.038 and P = 0.021, respectively).ConclusionThe iEM Education Project was successfully established. Our encouraging initial results support the international expansion and increased collaboration of this project. Despite targeting developing countries with limited resources in this project, their engagement was suboptimal. Solutions to reach medical students in these countries should be investigated.
Highlights
Our goal was to describe the structure, process, platforms, and piloting period activities of the International Emergency Medicine Education Project, which is a Free Open Access Medical Education (FOAM) initiative designed for medical students
After six months of online training and the development of infrastructure, a website including book chapters and blog, clinical and radiological image archive, video archive, audio archive, and social media accounts were initiated in May 2018.25 The International Emergency Medicine (iEM) Education Project was first officially announced at the International Federation for Emergency Medicine (IFEM)’s International Conference on Emergency Medicine in Mexico City, Mexico, in June 2018, and its platforms were advertised regularly through social media
A free open-access medical education resource devoted to medical students, was successfully established
Summary
Our goal was to describe the structure, process, platforms, and piloting period activities of the International Emergency Medicine (iEM) Education Project, which is a Free Open Access Medical Education (FOAM) initiative designed for medical students. Web-based learning has revolutionized medical education by allowing information to be shared rapidly without borders, supporting individual needs.[1, 2] Advancements in web technology encourage physicians to participate globally and benefit from collective intelligence.[3] After the term “Free Open Access Medical Education (FOAM)” was established, online medical learning gained fresh momentum, and a vibrant digital community was born.[4] through social media, interactions within this global community reached its peak.[5] The Emergency Medicine and Critical Care (EMCC) community, in particular, has been the leader of the FOAM movement.[6,7,8]
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