LearnENT: The Development of a Free Open Access Medical Education App in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

Abstract

To describe the successes and challenges associated with developing an otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OHNS) medical education app and website. From 2010 to 2018, OHNS faculty across Canada contributed to the development of a smartphone app, LearnENT. LearnENT 1.0, was initially launched in 2012 using the Apple iOS 6 platform. The app utilized a novel user interface and interactive features to help learners develop approaches to OHNS clinical problems, review relevant anatomy, history, and physical examination skills. However, the release of iOS 7 necessitated a redesign and relaunch of LearnENT which occurred from 2015 to 2018 to produce the final version of the app, LearnENT 2.0. Through the relaunching process, the LearnENT team redesigned the app's interface, produced a web version of the app, and created a new content management system. OHNS departments across Canada. OHNS faculty members, residents, and medical students. Through this approach, a sustainable, widely accessible, open access OHNS e-Learning resource was developed. Since the relaunch, the LearnENT app has 2728 user accounts and has been widely used across the globe with users in 36 countries outside of North America. LearnENT is currently the official learning app of the Canadian Society of OHNS, has been featured on several different medical education platforms and incorporated into medical school curricula at various institutions. The authors successfully created a novel e-Learning resource with the goal of improving OHNS medical education both nationally and internationally.