P246 The new era of medical education

Background Medical education is an evolving specialty. Educating the doctors of the tomorrow is investment in our own future and should capitalise on all available technologies. Education is more challenging in recent years due to the increased work load of doctors and increased number of students. It is recognised that students need to be prepared not only from a cognitive and clinical perspective, but also in the affective domain. Neonatology is a complex area, and students have limited background understanding of the specialty. Many different modalities of teaching have been trialled. The use of video in medical education dates back as far as 1960 (1), and students engage with video technology to enhance their learning experience (2). Video provides an opportunity to give a voice to parents and families which is not always available in clinical interactions. Aims We aim to assess the impact of video footage of parental NICU experiences on student attitudes towards prematurity. Methods We introduced video technology into our 2018 undergraduate education programme. Each student was asked to complete a 3 question ‘Classroom Assessment Techniques’ (CAT) questionnaire before and after watching a video. The video described the ‘parental experience’ of having an extremely premature infant. Results and Discussion The completion of the CAT before and after the video was feasible, and 100% response rate was obtained. Some students elected not to answer each question. After watching the video students had a greater appreciation for the possibility of morbidity and mortality for premature infants. The area that had the greatest impact on the students was the importance of explaining to the parents what they should expect after the baby is born. Parental anxiety featured strongly as an issue after watching the video. This is an important concept for medical students to grasp and a difficult one to communicate in didactic form. This understanding could improve communication with parents and may promote empathy for families dealing with illness across different specialties. Conclusion The significance of the patient/parent experience is a concept that is challenging to teach. Appreciating the impact neonatal illness has on both the patient and parent is essential. Providing students with insight into the consequences of prematurity will equip them with holistic skills that will be vital for their future practice. Video has a potential role to play in improving student understanding of these issues, as demonstrated by feasible and user-friendly CATs.