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Comparison of Online and Classroom‐based Formats for Teaching Emergency Medicine to Medical Students in Uganda
Author(s) -
Mahadevan Swaminatha V.,
Walker Rebecca,
Kalanzi Joseph,
Stone Luggya Tonny,
Bills Corey,
Acker Peter,
Apfeld Jordan C.,
Newberry Jennifer,
Becker Joseph,
Mantha Aditya,
Tecklenburg Strehlow Anne N.,
Strehlow Matthew C.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
aem education and training
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.49
H-Index - 9
ISSN - 2472-5390
DOI - 10.1002/aet2.10066
Subject(s) - curriculum , medical education , workforce , summative assessment , economic shortage , health care , medicine , population , developing country , psychology , political science , mathematics education , formative assessment , government (linguistics) , pedagogy , linguistics , philosophy , environmental health , law , economics , economic growth
Objectives Severe global shortages in the health care workforce sector have made improving access to essential emergency care challenging. The paucity of trained specialists in low‐ and middle‐income countries translates to large swathes of the population receiving inadequate care. Efforts to expand emergency medicine ( EM ) education are similarly impeded by a lack of available and appropriate teaching faculty. The development of comprehensive, online medical education courses offers a potentially economical, scalable, and lasting solution for universities experiencing professional shortages. Methods An EM course addressing core concepts and patient management was developed for medical students enrolled at Makerere University College of Health Sciences in Kampala, Uganda. Material was presented to students in two comparable formats: online video modules and traditional classroom‐based lectures. Following completion of the course, students were assessed for knowledge gains. Results Forty‐two and 48 students enrolled and completed all testing in the online and classroom courses, respectively. Student knowledge gains were equivalent (classroom 25 ± 8.7% vs. online 23 ± 6.5%, p = 0.18), regardless of the method of course delivery. Conclusions A summative evaluation of Ugandan medical students demonstrated that online teaching modules are effectively equivalent and offer a viable alternative to traditional classroom‐based lectures delivered by on‐site, visiting faculty in their efficacy to teach expertise in EM . Web‐based curriculum can help alleviate the burden on universities in developing nations struggling with a critical shortage of health care educators while simultaneously satisfying the growing community demand for access to emergency medical care. Future studies assessing the long‐term retention of course material could gauge its incorporation into clinical practice.