Search

Podcasts have become popular among medical trainees. However, it is unclear how well learners retain information from podcasts compared to traditional educational modalities, and whether multitasking affects the learner's ability to pay attention and learn. This study attempted to examine the effectiveness of podcast learning by using electroencephalography (EEG) to measure learner attention, in addition to test performance, task load, and preferences.The study used a repeated measures design with three conditions: podcast listening on a treadmill, podcast listening seated, and textbook reading seated. Participants were anesthesiology residents and medical students at a large United States academic medical center. Three topics were chosen: allergic response, liver physiology, and statistics. Each participant studied all three topics that were randomly assigned to one of three learning conditions - in random order. Participants completed a knowledge test at baseline, after each condition, and at four-week follow-up, and reported preferred learning modality and task load under each modality. Activation levels in alerting, orienting, and executive attentional networks were examined using EEG. Results: Sixty-one participants (11 anesthesiology residents and 50 medical students) were included in the study. Of the 61, six were excluded from the EEG analyses due to corrupted recordings. EEG results showed that mean attention network activation scores did not differ between the study conditions. Trainees preferred podcast learning over reading for all three topics. When compared to textbook reading, podcast learning (seated or on a treadmill) produced significantly better learning gain, and equivalent retention for two of the three topics.Our study is the first to use neurocognitive data, self-reported satisfaction, and knowledge test performance to demonstrate that podcasts are at least equivalent to textbooks for maintaining attention, immediate learning, and retention - even while exercising.

IntroductionUnderstanding performance differences between learners may provide useful context for optimising medical education. This pilot study aimed to explore a technique to contextualise performance differences through retrospective secondary analyses of two randomised controlled simulation studies. One study focused on speaking up (non-technical skill); the other focused on oxygen desaturation management (technical skill).MethodsWe retrospectively analysed data from two independent simulation studies conducted in 2017 and 2018. We used multivariate hierarchical cluster analysis to explore whether participants in each study formed homogenous performance clusters. We then used mixed-design analyses of variance and χ2 analyses to examine whether reported task load differences or demographic variables were associated with cluster membership.ResultsIn both instances, a two-cluster solution emerged; one cluster represented trainees exhibiting higher performance relative to peers in the second cluster. Cluster membership was independent of experimental allocation in each of the original studies. There were no discernible demographic differences between cluster members. Performance differences between clusters persisted for at least 8 months for the non-technical skill but quickly disappeared following simulation training for the technical skill. High performers in speaking up initially reported lower task load than standard performers, a difference that disappeared over time. There was no association between performance and task load during desaturation management.ConclusionThis pilot study suggests that cluster analysis can be used to objectively identify high-performing trainees for both a technical and a non-technical skill as observed in a simulated clinical setting. Non-technical skills may be more difficult to teach and retain than purely technical ones, and there may be an association between task load and initial non-technical performance. Further study is needed to understand what factors may confer inherent performance advantages, whether these advantages translate to clinical performance and how curricula can best be designed to drive targeted improvement for individual trainees.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted clinical education for medical students. With the rise of variants, meaningful in-person clinical experiences remain threatened. This report describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of a fully synchronous virtual critical care elective for medical students focused on learner engagement.The two-week elective was offered during June and July 2020 in the COVID-19 extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) unit. Medical students remotely participated in multidisciplinary rounds with the attending physician connected from the bedside via a head-mounted camera providing the first-person video view. Other team members connected outside the negative pressure area. Learners electronically completed daily intensive care unit (ICU) goals sheet (GS) for each patient. The daily completion percentage of the GS assessed the learner engagement, and the learners evaluated the experience with a five-point Likert scale survey.Nine medical students participated in two separate cohorts. Cohort A had 53 patient encounters, and Cohort B had 45 patient encounters totaling 301.5 total hours of supervised virtual patient interaction. The mean completion percentage of the daily ICU GS for the combined cohorts was 77.8%, (with a standard deviation of 9.6%), with sustained or increased completion from start to finish for all learners. All medical students agreed that the daily ICU GS was helpful for following rounds, organizing patient assessments and plans, and participating in patient care. The majority (88.9%) agreed that the elective increased their comfort in caring for critically ill patients.During the COVID-19 pandemic, a fully synchronous virtual critical care elective successfully utilized the first-person view and daily ICU GS to promote and assess learner engagement.

This study reports the needs-based development, effectiveness and feasibility of a novel, comprehensive spinal cord stimulation (SCS) digital curriculum designed for pain medicine trainees. The curriculum aims to address the documented systematic variability in SCS education and empower physicians with SCS expertise, which has been linked to utilization patterns and patient outcomes. Following a needs assessment, the authors developed a three-part SCS e-learning video curriculum with baseline and postcourse knowledge tests. Best practices were used for educational video production and test-question development. The study period was from 1 February 2020 to 31 December 2020. A total of 202 US-based pain fellows across two cohorts (early-fellowship and late-fellowship) completed the baseline knowledge assessment, while 122, 96 and 88 participants completed all available post-tests for Part I (Fundamentals), Part II (Cadaver Lab) and Part III (Decision Making, The Literature and Critical Applications), respectively. Both cohorts significantly increased knowledge scores from baseline to immediate post-test in all curriculum parts (p

BACKGROUND: The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is part of the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) certification process. A simulated OSCE can aid examination preparation, but the COVID-19 pandemic prevented in-person simulation training. Therefore, we adapted our in-person simulated OSCE (SOSCE) as a Zoom-based telesimulation OSCE (ZOSCE), permitting examinees to participate remotely. Comparing this process with historical in-person SOSCE cohorts, we hypothesized that this telesimulation-based format would still be well received by the trainees as a substitute when it was not possible to provide in-person practice and formative assessment. Subsequently, the ABA proposed a virtual-format OSCE. METHODS: We conducted our 7-station ZOSCE according to the ABA content outline for all graduating third-year clinical anesthesia residents (CA-3) in 2020. From a main meeting room, the facilitator paired each CA-3 with a faculty proctor, assigned them to their own breakout room for each station, and rotated standardized patients in. The faculty proctor observed the CA-3’s performance in real time using an assessment tool with objectives graded on a 0–2 scale. At the conclusion of the ZOSCE, proctors reviewed the assessment tool with the CA-3 and provided personalized global feedback. Assessment tool scores were used to calculate performance data for the study group that were compared with a SOSCE historical cohort from 2017 and 2018. All parties completed a Likert-style evaluation specific to the ZOSCE. RESULTS: A total of 22 CA-3 residents participated. Mean performance scores ranged from 82.2%–94.9% (minimum = 38%, maximum = 100%). Compared with the historical SOSCE cohort, ZOSCE scores for 5 of 7 stations were not different, but scores in communication with professionals (P = .007) and ultrasound (P < .001) stations were lower. Overall, CA-3 participants rated the learning experience positively and felt it was a reasonable substitution for in-person simulation, with responses similar to those of a historical in-person SOSCE cohort. CONCLUSIONS: A telesimulation-based practice ZOSCE for formative examination preparation for the ABA OSCE resulted in similar institutional scoring for most stations compared with in-person SOSCE, but some stations may be better practiced in person or require modifications. The virtual format may permit flexible scheduling during nonclinical times or for learners in remote locations. These findings have implications for future formative exercises and the formal summative examination process.

Within academic medical centers, there is increasing interest among physicians to pursue education as a promotion pathway. Many medical schools and universities offer professional development opportunities for these individuals such as workshops and certificate and advanced degree programs. However, there exists a need for a more personalized support for clinician-educators to be successful in educational scholarship in the health care setting. In 2017, a departmental level educational research community was established within Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at Johns Hopkins University to support faculty, staff, and trainees in creating, completing, and publishing educational scholarship. The research infrastructure includes administrative and institutional review board submission assistance, internal grant support, database management, statistical analysis, and consultation with professional educators. Also, integral to the education core is monthly education lab meetings that allow an opportunity for education researchers to present work in progress, conceive new projects, discuss relevant literature, and cultivate and sustain a community of educational scholars.This innovation in education demonstrates feasibility at a departmental level to successfully support educational research. We have initiated education meetings with a cohort of core education faculty who are interested in an educational promotion track. We present several metrics that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the programs similar to this innovation.

Introduction This paper reports on the development of a scale to measure intrapersonal factors (IPF) that may influence speaking up behaviour in the operating room. Methods Participants were postgraduate year 2, 3, and 4 anaesthesiology residents and practising faculty anaesthesiologists at a large quaternary care academic hospital. Based on a literature review, the authors constructed the initial scale. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to identify the underlying factor structure for the scale. A set of one-way ANOVAs and multiple ordinal regressions were carried out to provide additional validity evidence for the new scale. Results Exploratory factor analysis indicated a three-factor solution accounting for 73% of the variance. The self-efficacy subscale included four items (Cronbach’s α = 0.86), and the social outcome expectations (Cronbach’s α = 0.86) and assertive attitude (Cronbach’s α = 0.67) subscales contained three items each. The effect of training level was significantly associated with self-efficacy (p

Effectively communicating patient safety concerns in the operating theatre is crucial, but novice trainees often struggle to develop effective speaking up behaviour. Our primary objective was to test whether repeated simulation-based practice helps trainees speak up about patient management concerns. We also tested the effect of an additional didactic intervention over standard simulation education.This prospective observational study with a nested double-blind, randomised controlled component took place during a week-long simulation boot camp. Participants were randomised to receive simulation education (SE), or simulation education plus a didactic session on speaking up behaviour (SE+). Outcome measures were: changes in intrapersonal factors for speaking up (self-efficacy, social outcome expectations, and assertiveness), and speaking up performance during four simulated scenarios. Participants self-reported intrapersonal factors and blinded observers scored speaking up behaviour. Cognitive burden for each simulation was also measured using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index. Mixed-design analysis of variance was used to analyse scores.Twenty-two participants (11 per group) were included. There was no significant interaction between group and time for any outcome measure. There was a main effect for time for self-efficacy (P0.001); for social outcome expectations (P0.001); for assertive attitude (P=0.003); and for speaking up scores (P=0.001). The SE+ group's assertive attitude scores increased at follow-up whereas the SE group reverted to near baseline scores (P=0.025).In novice anaesthesia trainees, intrapersonal factors and communication performance benefit from repeated simulation training. Focused teaching may help trainees develop assertive behaviours.

Background Underserved sub-Saharan countries have 0.1 to 1.4 anesthesia providers per 100 000 citizens, below the Lancet Commission's target of 20 per 100 000 needed for safe surgery. Most of these anesthesia providers are nurse anesthetists, with anesthesiologists numbering as few as zero in some nations and 2 per 7 million in others, such as Sierra Leone. In this study, we compared 2 simulation-based techniques for training nurse anesthetists on the Universal Anaesthesia Machine Ventilator-rapid-cycle deliberate practice and mastery learning. Methods A 2-week Universal Anaesthesia Machine Ventilator course was administered to 17 participants in Sierra Leone. Seven were randomized to the rapid-cycle deliberate practice group and 10 to the mastery learning group. Participants underwent baseline and posttraining evaluations in 3 scenarios: general anesthesia, intraoperative power failure, and postoperative pulmonary edema. Performance was analyzed based on checklist performance scores and the number of times participants were stopped for a mistake. Statistical significance to 0.05 was determined with the Mann-Whitney U Test. Results Checklist performance scores did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. When the groups were combined, simulation-based training resulted in a statistically significant improvement in performance. The highest-frequency problem areas were preoxygenation, switching from spontaneous to mechanical ventilation, and executing appropriate treatment interventions for a postoperative emergency. Conclusion Both rapid-cycle deliberate practice and mastery learning are effective methods for simulation-based training to improve nurse anesthetist performance with the Universal Anaesthesia Machine Ventilator in 3 separate scenarios. The data did not indicate any difference between these methods; however, a larger sample size may support or refute our findings.

BACKGROUND: In our current digital age, textbooks have been supplemented or supplanted by multiple online modalities for knowledge acquisition. Trainees, often from a younger generation than their program directors (PDs), prefer asynchronous options such as podcasts, videos, and question banks. We sought to identify whether an educational gap exists between PDs and trainees regarding what is assigned and what is used. METHODS: A national cross-sectional survey was conducted in the United States in 2018–2019 to characterize anesthesiology resident and PD perceptions of academic knowledge acquisition. RESULTS: Of the 149 PDs, 85 completed the survey (57%). Of the 85 PDs, 36 forwarded the survey to residents. Of the 1414 residents who received the survey, 503 residents responded to the survey (36%). The PDs thought residents used didactics, assigned reading, and scheduled simulations more than residents reported (P < .001). Residents reported using self-directed learning more (P = .004). Most residents (74.1%) reported using textbooks or online reading materials. Those residents reporting >70th percentile on the In-Training Exam used textbooks or online materials more than those who reported low scores (

Anesthesia workforce gaps in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) can hinder safe surgical care. Several countries have fewer than one anesthesiologist per million population and some have fewer than two anesthesiologists nationally. Limited apprenticeship opportunities and inadequate supervision present serious challenges in these locations. Although simulation training could help disseminate expert guidance, the high cost, technical challenges, and varied approaches limit application. We reviewed the literature on cost-efficient and effective simulation training programs for anesthesia workforces in LMICs. Publications relevant to anesthesia simulation in these countries are limited but include anesthesia skill gap identification, technical skill training, and scenario management. High-cost, high-technology simulation available in high-resource countries is often impractical in LMICs. We identified low-cost approaches that are typically used to assess skill deficiencies and develop nontechnical and technical skills. Future studies should evaluate optimal modalities and equipment for greatest impact.

BACKGROUND: Program directors of anesthesiology residencies agree that it is the program's responsibility to prepare residents for primary American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) certification, although few report an Objective Standardized Clinical Exam (OSCE) program reflective of the new ABA examination. We created an authentic simulated OSCE (SOSCE) using existing resources to prepare third-year clinical anesthesia residents for the ABA APPLIED exam before graduation and identify knowledge gaps relevant to the OSCE. METHODS: Junior anesthesiology residents and medical students acted as standardized patients for the 7 SOSCE stations. Third-year clinical anesthesia residents were evaluated on performance by faculty educators during the SOSCE and completed surveys regarding their experience. Follow-up surveys were distributed to participants after they completed the ABA APPLIED Exam. RESULTS: Mean scores ranged from 82.6% correct (echocardiogram) to 97.2% correct (ultrasonography). Knowledge gaps were present in competencies explicitly stated as objectives by the ABA. Echocardiography scores improved from 76.1% in the first year to 90.0% in the second year (P = .009). Participants found the SOSCE to be valuable in preparing for the OSCE and the standardized patients' performance to be convincing. Participants felt better prepared for the ABA exam and thought that the SOSCE was authentic in content and process. CONCLUSIONS: An SOSCE program can be developed with preexisting resources. This program was highly rated as useful and informative, an accurate reflection of the ABA OSCE, and helpful in preparation for the examination. Development of a SOSCE program is feasible, sustainable, and valuable.

Limited opportunity for teaching patient-care skills in clinical settings has increased the need for simulation training in medical education. However, this modality may be hard to sustain because of extensive time requirements and potential scheduling conflicts. The authors conducted a pilot randomized study to compare the immediate and long-term effects of using instructional video with self-directed practice to those of using simulation training with expert feedback. The results are promising for the use of instructional video–guided, self-directed deliberate practice; however, future studies with a larger sample from multiple institutions should replicate this study to confirm these results.

Study objective To use cognitive task analysis (CTA) to elicit experts' knowledge and outline their clinical decision-making process for the management of pediatric blunt abdominal injury. Methods This was a mixed-methods study involving in-depth interviews and a focus group with local experts followed by a review survey with a panel of experts from numerous pediatric trauma centers across the United States. All experts specialized in pediatric emergency medicine and pediatric trauma surgery. Results Common themes that emerged during seven in-depth interviews with local experts included: clinical management, clinical reasoning, situational awareness, potential errors/novice traps, knowledge and skills, communication, and quality indicators. A total of 17 external experts responded to the survey for a response rate of 77%. External experts indicated that the information outlined in the CTA was complete and accurate, and provided valuable insights into the discrepancies that were unresolved during the focus group with local experts. They indicated agreement with potential errors/novice traps reported by local experts. Specifically, they indicated that the failure in coordinating team activities, maintaining the big picture, and performing a thorough physical examination posed serious threats to novices when managing a child with blunt abdominal trauma. Conclusion CTA may be applied to pediatric management of blunt abdominal injury to identify critical steps and potential errors to serve as a framework for education in pediatric emergency medicine and pediatric trauma surgery. Future studies may apply CTA to other types of traumatic injuries and/or involve an interdisciplinary approach.

Ill-structured problem-solving ability is key to success in our personal and professional lives. A small but growing body of research has investigated ill-structured problems; however, little if any research has examined strategies that individuals use while solving ill-structured problems in the context of a web-based problem-solving environment. Further, this research has not addressed the relationship between these strategies and problem-solving performance. Two objectives were addressed in the current study. The first objective was to characterize students’ ill-structured problemsolving strategies in a Web-based problem-solving environment. Cluster analysis revealed four groups of students who approached the same online problem-solving task in considerably different ways. Some students tended to focus on writing tasks, while others focused on exploring resources. Students also differed on their resource use, and the degree to which they discriminated relevant from irrelevant resources. The second objective was to examine the effect of these problem-solving strategies on students’ problem-solving performance. Forced-order hierarchical regression showed that the problem-solving strategies students used were significant predictors of problem solving performance when learner characteristics had been controlled. Results of the current study are discussed in light of previous research, and implications of the study for educators and for problem-solving researchers are presented.

Cluster analysis is a group of statistical methods that has great potential for analyzing the vast amounts of web server-log data to understand student learning from hyperlinked information resources. In this methodological paper we provide an introduction to cluster analysis for educational technology researchers and illustrate its use through two examples of mining click-stream server-log data that reflects student use of online learning environments. Cluster analysis can be used to help researchers develop profiles that are grounded in learner activity—like sequence for accessing tasks and information, or time spent engaged in a given activity or examining resources—during a learning session. The examples in this paper illustrate the use of a hierarchical clustering method (Ward’s clustering) and a non-hierarchical clustering method (k-Means clustering) to analyze characteristics of learning behavior while learners engage in a problem-solving activity in an online learning environment. A discussion of advantages and limitations of using cluster analysis as a data mining technique in educational technology research concludes the article.