A 90-minute active learning ECG session improved first-year PA students' mean item-level performance on ECG acquisition and electrophysiology knowledge by 10.3 percentage points.
Observational (n=42)
No
Does a single active learning ECG session improve knowledge and confidence in ECG acquisition and electrophysiology in first-year PA students?
A dedicated 90-minute active learning session improved PA students' foundational ECG knowledge and confidence in performing a 12-lead ECG.
Absolute Event Rate: 81.2% vs 70.9%
ECG acquisition and cardiac electrophysiology are frequently undertaught in physician assistantcardiology curricula, with greater emphasis placed on pattern recognition than foundational ECGprinciples. This study examined whether a single active learning ECG session improved first-year PAstudents’ knowledge and confidence in ECG acquisition and electrophysiology. Forty-two studentsparticipated in a 90-minute session; pre- and post-assessments revealed a 10.3 percentage pointimprovement in item-level performance, with the greatest gains in cardiac plane orientation andfoundational recall. Student confidence in performing a 12-lead ECG increased substantially. Thesefindings support integrating dedicated ECG acquisition instruction and hands-on skills training into PAcardiology curricula.
Jasion et al. (Wed,) conducted a observational in Physician Assistant Students (n=42). Active learning ECG session vs. Pre-intervention baseline was evaluated on Mean item-level performance on ECG knowledge assessment. A 90-minute active learning ECG session improved first-year PA students' mean item-level performance on ECG acquisition and electrophysiology knowledge by 10.3 percentage points.