A blended learning curriculum significantly improved medical students' performance on a 17-item ECG interpretation test and their confidence in ECG interpretation skills (P=0.01).
Does a blended learning curriculum improve ECG interpretation skills and confidence in medical students?
A blended learning curriculum combining lectures, videos, and team-based learning significantly improves medical students' performance and confidence in interpreting ECGs, particularly for life-threatening arrhythmias.
p-value: p=0.01
OBJECTIVES: The ability to interpret a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) is an essential skill in inpatient and outpatient settings. In medical school, this skill is generally taught during the Internal Medicine clerkship. Blended learning is a pedagogical tool that combines different modes of information delivery, models of teaching, and learning styles combining face-to-face learning sessions with online learning. The objectives of this study were to develop a curriculum using a blended educational model including lecture, focused educational videos, flipped classroom, and team-based learning to teach a systematic approach to ECG interpretation and enhance the ability of students to identify common and life-threatening electrocardiographic abnormalities. METHODS: Between 2016 and 2019, 349 medical students from the University of Colorado School of Medicine received the blended learning curriculum, which included an introductory lecture followed by five 30-minute sessions. These sessions encompassed preclass videos and team-based learning in a flipped-classroom design covering critical concepts in electrocardiography. A sample of 64 students completed a survey evaluating confidence in ECG interpretation skills before and after the curriculum. All of the students completed a 17-item pretest and posttest. RESULTS: 0.01), the most significant gains occurring in the life-threatening tracings of ventricular fibrillation and in ventricular tachycardia. CONCLUSIONS: Using a blended learning model with multiple educational modalities resulted in significant improvement in learners' performance and confidence in ECG interpretation.
Mann et al. (Sun,) conducted a other in ECG interpretation education (n=349). Blended learning curriculum vs. Pre-curriculum baseline was evaluated on Performance on a 17-item ECG interpretation test and confidence in skills (p=0.01). A blended learning curriculum significantly improved medical students' performance on a 17-item ECG interpretation test and their confidence in ECG interpretation skills (P=0.01).