Key result
An ECG mobile app averages ~2.5 accesses per medical student, driven by reference guide usage.
Why the study?
ECG education is traditionally delivered via classroom lectures, but medical students increasingly find mobile apps instructive for learning in non-formal settings outside the classroom.
Observational (n=55)
No
A mobile learning application for ECG interpretation was utilized by medical students primarily upon initial launch, with the highest interest in reference guides for specific arrhythmias.
Low sustained usage cautions against routine adoption; leaves open whether mobile ECG apps enhance interpretation skills.
The first two years of undergraduate medical education include foundational science and clinical training such as accurately interpreting electrocardiograms (ECGs). ECG education is traditionally delivered via lecture-based presentations in a formal classroom setting. However, students are increasingly finding mobile apps to be instructive to use in a non-formal setting outside of the classroom. This report describes the development of a mobile app to aid with ECG interpretations. Quantitative data included the frequency to which medical students used the app. Findings reveal the app was accessed the most frequently when first launched and students may be most interested in learning about certain arrhythmias more than others, potentially ones they found more difficult to learn.
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Zumwalt et al. (2025) conducted an observational in ECG interpretation education (n=55). Mobile learning application for ECG interpretation was evaluated on Frequency of app access per student. First- and second-year medical students accessed the ECG mobile learning application an average of 2.46 times, with usage peaking upon launch and the ECG Reference Guide being the most frequently accessed content area.
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