Innovation In Medical Education Research Articles

Virtual Microscopy Tagging and Its Benefits for Students, Faculty, and Interprofessional Programs Alike.

BackgroundOver the years, due to technological innovations in medical education, virtual microscopy has become a popular tool used to teach histology. The Virtual Microscopy Project is a faculty and student collaborative project at the University of South Florida (USF) Health to transfer and update online histology slides from an outdated viewer to a completely new viewer.MethodologyThe project goal is to better facilitate the educational experience for students and faculty through the implementation of updated technology and features.ResultsAt USF Health, multiple programs use the online histology slide viewer to teach normal histology. The previous website’s organization and lack of additional features severely hindered opportunities for personalized education; users could not write any notes, circle or point to important features, or easily search for specific organs or tissue. An updated website user interface and additional instructional features will improve the students’ accessibility and overall quality of their learning. The updated viewer will be more integrated into the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine (MCOM) curriculum, providing faculty with organized and readily available material. USF MCOM has faculty integration directors to create a balanced curriculum that can be reviewed by faculty for consistency and accuracy. Adding this same organizational structure to the online microscopy viewer will assist directors in forming and modifying the curriculum and may also provide them with additional resources for their education delivery.ConclusionThe Virtual Microscopy Project hopes to produce an accessible, user-friendly online microscopy viewer that is beneficial to students for learning, to faculty for teaching/curriculum planning, and to medical education as a whole.

Innovations in medical education — advantages and risks

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The impact of Covid-19 on professional identity formation: an international qualitative study of medical students’ reflective entries in a Global Creative Competition

IntroductionThe Covid-19 pandemic, which affected medical students globally, could be viewed as a disorientating dilemma with the potential to offer opportunities for transformative learning. In 2021 the Medical Education Innovation and Research Centre at Imperial College London launched a Global Creative Competition as a platform for medical students to reflect on their experiences during the pandemic.MethodsSix hundred forty-eight creative pieces with written reflections were submitted by medical students from 52 countries. 155 students from 28 countries consented for their entries to be included in this study. The reflections were analysed thematically and independently by three reviewers to explore how the pandemic impacted students’ professional identity formation (PIF).ResultsThe pandemic increased students’ awareness of the social and global role of doctors in addressing health inequities. Students felt part of a wider healthcare community and showed greater appreciation towards person-centred care. Students also became more aware of their personal needs, priorities, and the importance of self-care.DiscussionIn agreement with Mezirow’s theory of transformative learning (2003), the pandemic led students to re-examine pre-existing epistemic and sociocultural assumptions concerning the role of doctors and explore new perspectives of what it means to be a doctor. In accordance with Cheng’s theory of coping flexibility (2021), students developed both emotion-focused coping strategies (e.g., arts engagement) and problem-solving strategies (e.g., volunteering), suggesting they were able to adjust psychologically and develop agency. However, students experienced tension between their sense of duty and sense of wellbeing, highlighting the need for medical educators to design into programmes formal support systems where medical students have the space and time they need to reflect on their emergent identities as a doctor.ConclusionMedical educators should encourage students to reflect on their identity formation while encountering disorientating dilemmas. The inclusion of arts and humanities within the medical curriculum is strongly recommended to provide an avenue for students to access and express complex emotions and experiences.

Challenges and innovations in undergraduate medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic – A systematic review

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruption to undergraduate medical education globally, with worldwide implementation of social distancing and lock-down measures. This systematic review aims to identify challenges in undergraduate medical education during the pandemic and report creative approaches that have been employed to ensure continuity of education. Methods: A MEDLINE (PubMed) search was performed for articles published between 1 February 2020 and 1 September 2020, corresponding to the pandemic’s global upsurge. Studies, commentaries, perspectives, and correspondence reporting challenges, adaptations and innovations in undergraduate medical education were screened. Data was grouped in accordance with the research questions it sought to address and analysed qualitatively. Results: 43 studies were included. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in lost opportunities for clinical exposure, reduced motivation, and heightened anxiety among medical students. Traditional teaching and assessment methods have transitioned to virtual platforms, harnessing video conferencing, social media, and virtual or augmented reality technologies. The long-term effectiveness of these solutions is uncertain, but immediate benefits conferred include increased access, improved time management, and cultivation of self-directed learning. The lack of authentic clinical experiences and patient interaction remains a major concern. Technical challenges and digital fatigue were also highlighted as pertinent challenges. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has provided unexpected, yet invaluable opportunities to explore new pedagogies that may be instrumental in shaping medical education in the new norm. As future members of the healthcare workforce, medical students should be integrated into current healthcare systems to equip them with knowledge and skills to manage future pandemics.

Competency-Based Medical Training in Anesthesiology: Has It Delivered on the Promise of Better Education?

Competency-Based Medical Training in Anesthesiology: Has It Delivered on the Promise of Better Education?

Innovations in Medical Education During the COVID-19 Era and Beyond: Medical Students' Perspectives on the Transformation of Real Public Health Visits Into Virtual Format.

BackgroundAt the College of Medicine and Medical Sciences (CMMS), Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Bahrain, the Public Health Program comprises two core components, namely, lectures and field visits (consumer products safety, communicable diseases control, and food safety). Digital transformation has innovated the medical educational activities during the COVID-19 pandemic where the real public health field visits were transformed into a virtual format. This study is aimed to examine the potential effect of converting the real public health field visit programs into a virtual format during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsAll medical students who have submitted online feedback evaluation forms upon completing the Public Health Program in the academic years 2019–2020 (180 students; before the COVID-19 pandemic) and 2020–2021 (167 students; during the COVID-19 pandemic) were included in the study, a total sample size of 347 responses. Independent samples t-test was employed to compare students' feedback on Public Health Program before and during the COVID-19 pandemic while the Pearson chi-square test was used for categorical data. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsThe mean score of students' satisfaction from the virtual program during the COVID-19 pandemic toward the consumer products safety and food safety field visits was significantly higher than that for students before the COVID-19 pandemic (the real field visits). However, there was no observed statistically significant difference for the Communicable Diseases Control visit. In addition, no significant differences were detected between the mean responses of male and female students toward all field visits, whether the feedback was provided before or during the COVID-19 pandemic.ConclusionTransformation of real public health field visits into virtual format is acceptable and applicable during the COVID-19 era and maybe beyond.

Using medical education as a tool to train doctors as social innovators

IntroductionCurrent medical education prepares doctors to diagnose, assess and treat individual patients yet lacks the expectation to be responsible for the care of the wider community. Learning the skills to...

The ASIC Framework: An Alternative Operational Matrix to Support the Technology and Innovations in Medical Education based on the Primary Learning Domains

The ASIC Framework: An Alternative Operational Matrix to Support the Technology and Innovations in Medical Education based on the Primary Learning Domains

African Medical Educators and Anatomy Teachers' Perceptions and Acceptance of the Anatomage Table as an EdTech and Innovation: A Qualitative Study.

BackgroundThis article presents a qualitative study of African anatomists and anatomy teachers on the Anatomage Table–a modern medical education technology and innovation, as an indicator of African anatomy medical and anatomy educators’ acceptance of EdTech. The Anatomage Table is used for digital dissection, prosection, functional anatomy demonstration, virtual simulation of certain functions, and interactive digital teaching aid.Materials and MethodsAnatomy teachers [n=79] from 11 representative African countries, Ghana, Nigeria [West Africa], Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda [East Africa], Namibia [South Africa], Zambia [Southern Africa], Egypt [North Africa], and Sudan [Central Africa], participated in this study. Focus group discussions [FGDs] were set up to obtain qualitative information from stakeholders from representative institutions. In addition, based on the set criteria, selected education leaders and stakeholders in representative institutions participated in In-depth Interviews [IDIs]. The interview explored critical issues concerning their perceptions about the acceptance, adoption, and integration of educational technology, specifically, the Anatomage Table into the teaching of Anatomy and related medical sciences in the African continent. Recorded interviews were transcribed and analyzed using the Dedoose software.ResultsAfrican anatomists are generally technology inclined and in favor of EdTech. The most recurring opinion was that the Anatomage Table could only be a “complementary teaching tool to cadavers” and that it “can’t replace the real-life experience of cadavers.” Particularly, respondents from user institutions opined that it “complements the traditional cadaver-based approaches” to anatomy learning and inquiry, including being a good “complement for cadaveric skill lab” sessions. Compared with the traditional cadaveric dissections a majority also considered it less problematic regarding cultural acceptability and health and safety-related concerns. The lifelikeness of the 3D representation is a major factor that drives acceptability.

Maintaining health professional education during war: A scoping review

PurposeWar negatively impacts health professional education when health care is needed most. The aims of this scoping review are to describe the scope of barriers and targeted interventions to maintaining health professional education during war and summarise the research.MethodsWe conducted a scoping review between 20 June 2018 and 2 August 2018. The search was restricted to English publications including peer‐reviewed publications without date ranges involving war and health professional education (medical school, residency training and nursing school), with interventions described to maintain educational activities. Two independent reviewers completed inclusion determinations and data abstraction. Thematic coding was performed using an inductive approach allowing dominant themes to emerge. The frequency of barrier and intervention themes and illustrative quotes were extracted. Articles were divided into modern/postmodern categories to permit temporal and historical analysis of thematic differences.ResultsScreening identified 3271 articles, with 56 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Publication dates ranged from 1914–2018 with 17 unique wars involving 17 countries. The studies concerned medical students (61.4%), residents (28.6%) and nursing students (10%). Half involved the modern era and half the postmodern era. Thematic coding identified five categories of barriers and targeted interventions in maintaining health professions education during war: curriculum, personnel, wellness, resources, and oversight, with most involving curriculum and personnel. The distribution of themes among various health professional trainees was similar. The frequency and specifics changed temporally reflecting innovations in medical education and war, with increased focus on oversight and personnel during the modern era and greater emphasis on wellness, curriculum, and resources during the postmodern era.ConclusionsThere are overarching categories of barriers and targeted interventions in maintaining health professional education during war which evolve over time. These may serve as a useful framework to strategically support future research and policy efforts.

From tradition to Simulation: An experience of team training on management of shoulder dystocia.

To determine if simulation-based team training improves the management of shoulder dystocia compared to traditionally taught obstetrical emergencies. The prospective mixed-method study was conducted at the Centre for Innovation in Medical Education at the Aga Khan University, Karachi, from June to August 2018, and comprised doctors and nurses having up to five years of labour and delivery experience. The subjects were divided into two equal groups which were further subdivided into four equal teams. Group 1 was taught to manage shoulder dystocia using traditional lectures and hands-on pelvic models, while group 2 was trained in a simulated environment with a simulated scenario of shoulder dystocia. After two weeks, the performance of both teams were assessed and compared. Data was analysed using SPSS 19. A focus group discussion was subsequently conducted on the quality of the simulation experience. Of the 32 subjects, 16(50%) each were doctors and nurses. They were divided into groups having 16(50%) members each, and each group had 4 teams having 4(25%) subjects. The overall mean age of the sample was 31.9±2.8 years (range: 28-38 years). The mean score for performance on technical and communication task of group 2 was 10.25±1.258 compared to 5.7±2.500 in group 1 (p=0.028). Focus group participants agreed that training in a simulated environment was far superior than being traditionally taught. Simulation-based team training in shoulder dystocia management was associated with better feedback than traditional-style teaching.

ASIC Framework Simplified and Operationalised - An Operational Matrix for Optimising the Use of Technologies and Innovations in Medical Education.

The ASIC [adaptation, standardisation, integration and compliance] framework was developed to set the standard for the use of innovations and technologies in medical education. There is a need to develop frameworks and reference guides for educational technologies [EdTechs] and innovations, noting that EdTechs are becoming increasingly important to the delivery of medical education. The ASIC framework as previously published presents four major tenets including: adaptation, standardisation, integration and compliance. The operational matrix is now developed and presented in this article. Each tenet of the ASIC framework has key requirements or questions that the user of an EdTech or educational innovation should address. Each question represents a key requirement to be satisfied by the user of the EdTech to satisfy the ASIC tenets. Each question is also equally weighted as every other one. The matrix has 12 key questions, representing 12 key requirements. The results measurement can either be a fraction of 12 or a percentage. As a requirement, the minimum score under each category is 2 out of 3; ideally, optimisation of an educational innovation or technology requires that all boxes are checked in the affirmative. However, a minimum of 2 out of 3 in every category would indicate a minimum score or threshold. This effort is in line with previous and ongoing efforts to ensure that educational technologies and innovation that are deployed to deliver medical education are adapted for optimal performance, standardised for the use of training, integrated into the medical education delivery system, and compliant with professional, institutional, and regulatory standards.

Symbiotic relationships through longitudinal integrated clerkships in general practice

BackgroundLongitudinal integrated clerkships (LICs) are an innovation in medical education that are often successfully implemented in general practice contexts. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences and perspectives of general practitioner (GP)-tutors on the impact of LICs on their practices, patients and the wider community.MethodsGPs affiliated with the University of Limerick School of Medicine- LIC were invited to participate in in-depth interviews. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in person and over the phone and were based on a topic guide. The guide and approach to analysis were informed by symbiosis in medical education as a conceptual lens. Data were recorded, transcribed and analysed using an inductive thematic approach.ResultsTwenty-two GPs participated. Two main themes were identified from interviews: ‘roles and relationships’ and ‘patient-centred physicians’. Five subthemes were identified which were: ‘GP-role model’, ‘community of learning’, and ‘mentorship’, ‘student doctors’ and ‘serving the community’.ConclusionLICs have the potential to develop more patient-centred future doctors, who have a greater understanding of how medicine is practised in the community. The LIC model appears to have a positive impact on all stakeholders but their success hinges on having adequate support for GPs and resourcing for the practices.

Unprecedented Training: Experience of Residents During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Unprecedented Training: Experience of Residents During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The effectiveness of games in learning antihypertensive drugs on medical students: A cross-sectional study

Developing innovation in medical education is a vital part of improving the learning outcomes. One such learning innovation in medical education is to learn using game as a tool. The Husenynov antihypertensive drug game (HAG) was developed as an innovation to assist the learning process for studying pharmacology. The study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of HAG and traditional educational method (lecture) on knowledge and perception of medical students. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted with 221 second year students from the Universitas Padjadjaran Faculty of Medicine. There were two subject groups: the game group and the lecture group. Duration (two hours) and learning content were similar for both activities. A pre-post test was performed to compare the percentage of students with increased knowledge between groups, while a questionnaire of perception was distributed at the end of the study. The number of students who experienced increased knowledge (post-test score better than pre-test score) was higher in the game group than the lecture group (68% vs 54%, respectively). Students who played the game had a knowledge score 1.8 times higher compared to those who had the lecture (crosstab, OR 1.8 (95% CI 1.04–3.09)). Furthermore, a significantly higher proportion of students had positive perceptions regarding the learning method in the game group (83% vs 45%, p < 0.01). The Husenynov antihypertensive drug game (HAG) promotes better-increased knowledge and positive perceptions than the traditional educational method (lecture).

Perspective of a Teaching Fellow: Innovation in Medical Education: The Changing Face of Clinical Placements During COVID-19.

The Mid Essex teaching team have adapted and innovated to ensure delivery of the curriculum to over 150 students from two medical schools during COVID-19. A fully immersive education experience was created through protected teaching time, the introduction of a simulation package (virtual reality simulation, ward simulation and bleep simulation), the proactive recruitment of fourteen dedicated teaching fellows, and the procurement of technology-based platforms. The blended learning approach we designed supplemented student-patient interaction on the ward with virtual and face-to-face teaching sessions where appropriate. Preliminary data from student feedback suggests that the pandemic induced adaptations, technological innovations and simulation-based teaching have been successful. Students have rapidly gained confidence, knowledge and skills that they need to progress. It may be a consideration for teaching hospitals elsewhere to consider such methods to ensure students are prepared for life as a doctor both in the midst of and after the pandemic.

A PRECEDE-PROCEED Approach in the Advocacy for Computer-based Education on Correct Medical Certification of Cause of Death among Physician-Learners.

Mortality data is a critical input to public health decision-making and planning. Yet, about 36% of underlying causes of death reported by physicians in 2018 are considered garbage codes, not useful in analyzing public health and mortality (PSA, 2018). We used the PRECEDE-PROCEED approach to develop, implement, and report an advocacy and education Project to improve training on medical certification of cause of death (MCCOD) among senior medical students and interns. An MCCOD Instructional Design and eLearning course was introduced and validated in 33 medical education institutions. Lessons enhanced these education materials and are proposed for nationwide adoption. In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Project fast-tracked the training of physician-learners on the correct cause of death reporting and certification. Awareness of correct MCCOD and its personal and public health value reached at least 4000 learners, over a hundred medical faculty, and all deans of medical colleges in the Philippines. The PRECEDE-PROCEED Model provided a clear and practicable framework for the advocacy and education efforts to train senior medical students and interns on MCCOD. It can similarly guide other medical education innovations by defining predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors then considering these factors for intervention strategies, implementation, process evaluation, outcome evaluations, and impact evaluations.

Exploration challenges of the implementers of Iran's transformational innovation plan in medical education.

BACKGROUND:The Health System Reform Plan, especially in medical education, has undoubtedly caused changes in the university. The continuation of this project requires recognizing the challenges confronted by those in charge of its implementation. This study aimed to explore the challenges of the implementers of the Transformation and Innovation Plan in Medical Education in the universities of Macroregion 5.MATERIALS AND METHODS:The qualitative research was conducted using the content analysis method. Semi-structured interviews with health and medical education managers were used to collect information. Participants were 11 educational leaders of universities who were selected by purposeful sampling. Data collection continued until data saturation was reached. Data analysis was performed continuously and simultaneously with data collection. The Graneheim and Lundman methods were used to analyze the data.RESULTS:From 11 interviews, one theme, five categories, and 12 subclasses were obtained. Five categories include lack of proper groundwork, weak leadership, structural problems, inability to fund, and inadequate monitoring.CONCLUSION:Innovation and transformation in medical education are one of the critical missions and admirable actions of the Ministry of Health in the field of education, but a review of this plan can, in addition to identifying shortcomings and problems, pave the way for success, and progress in future programs.

The end-to-end technologies as digital innovations in healthcare and medical education

The end-to-end technologies as digital innovations in healthcare and medical education

Digital Transformation in Medical Affairs Sparked by the Pandemic: Insights and Learnings from COVID-19 Era and Beyond.

A number of developments, including increasing regulatory and compliance scrutiny, increased transparency expectations, an increasingly vocal patient, patient centricity and greater requirements for real-world evidence, have driven the growth and importance of medical affairs as a trusted, science-driven partner over the past decade. The healthcare environment is shifting towards a digital, data-driven and payor-focused model. Likewise, medical affairs as a function within the pharmaceutical industry has become more “patient-centric” with strategic engagements embracing payers and patients apart from clinicians. The pandemic has impacted the healthcare industry as well as the function of medical affairs in numerous ways and has brought new challenges and demands to tackle. There is indeed a silver lining due to intense digital transformation within this crisis. The emerging digital innovation and new technologies in healthcare, medical education and virtual communications are likely to stay and advance further. In this review, we discuss how the digital transformation sparked by the pandemic has impacted the medical affairs function in pharmaceuticals and provide further insights and learnings from the COVID-19 era and beyond. Based on the learning and insights, digital innovation in three key strategic imperatives of medical affairs—HCP engagement, external partnerships and data generation will enable medical affairs to become future-fit as a strategic leadership function.