Key result
Virtual EEG training improves resident knowledge scores similarly to in-person training.
Why the study?
Educational programs increasingly relied on virtual methods during the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting a comparison of the effects of in-person versus virtual EEG training on neurology residents' knowledge.
Does virtual EEG training improve knowledge as effectively as in-person training in pediatric and adult neurology residents?
RCT (n=30)
Open-label
Randomly divided (though discussion notes allocation by hospital accessibility)
Yes
Does virtual EEG training improve knowledge as effectively as in-person training in pediatric and adult neurology residents?
Absolute Event Rate: 14.8182% vs 14.5%
Virtual EEG training is as effective as in-person training for improving knowledge among neurology residents, supporting its integration into educational protocols.
Virtual EEG training offers a flexible alternative for neurology residents; confirms equivalence to in-person instruction in knowledge acquisition.
Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, educational programs have increasingly relied on virtual methods. Objectives: In this study, we compared the effects of in-person and virtual electroencephalography (EEG) training on the knowledge of pediatric and adult neurology residents. Methods: The study participants consisted of 30 pediatric and adult neurology residents who were recruited nationwide via a virtual network. They were randomly divided into two groups for in-person and virtual education, respectively. Prior to the first workshop session, participants completed a pre-test comprising 19 knowledge-related questions. Two interactive training sessions focusing on benign variants in EEG were conducted, including two in-person workshops for eight residents and two online workshops for 22 residents. Each session lasted one hour, with one held every two weeks. After the second session, participants were asked to complete a post-test consisting of 24 questions (identical to the pre-test) and five workshop satisfaction-related questions. Results: Overall, the mean exam score after both the in-person and virtual workshops was significantly higher than the pretest score across all educational levels. The mean score differences in knowledge between the in-person and virtual groups after the workshop were similar, with no statistically significant difference. Approximately 90% of the participants believed that the workshop would be beneficial for their daily practice. Conclusions: Given the absence of a significant difference between in-person and virtual training methods in improving participants' knowledge and satisfaction with both approaches, we recommend integrating virtual EEG training into the educational protocol for pediatric and adult neurology residents. Nonetheless, larger sample size studies are required to further validate these findings.
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Mohammadi et al. (2023) conducted an RCT in Pediatric and adult neurology residents requiring EEG training (n=30). Virtual EEG training vs. In-person EEG training was evaluated on Post-workshop knowledge score (out of 19). Virtual EEG training improved knowledge scores similarly to in-person training among neurology residents, with no statistically significant difference between the two educational methods.
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