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Failure of a Web-based educational tool to improve residents' scores on the American Board of Surgery In-Training
Charles M Ferguson1, Andrew L Warshaw
1Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston 02114, USA. cferguson@partners.org
Hypothesis:
Usage of a Web-based educational tool will improve residents' scores on the American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE).
Design:
Before and after trial.
Setting:
Academic surgical residency in a tertiary care university hospital.
Participants:
Nineteen postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) and PGY2 residents.
Intervention:
All PGY1 and PGY2 residents were given unlimited access to a Web-based educational tool aimed at early-level residents in surgery. The educational tool covers the basic science of surgery and basic concepts of clinical surgery and uses a variety of educational techniques (readings, problem-based learning, case-based learning, and practice tests). Although residents were encouraged to complete the learning package, they were not required to do so.
Main Outcome Measures:
The ABSITE scores and changes in ABSITE scores were compared with the amount of time residents spent using the program and the number of tutorials completed.
Results:
There was no significant difference in ABSITE scores before or after the use of the Web-based educational tool. There was no significant relationship between use of the tool (either in total time or total tutorials) and ABSITE score. For PGY2 residents, there was a negative relationship between total time spent on the program and ABSITE score (linear regression analysis best-fit slope, -0.20 +/- 0.1; r2 = 0.33) and total tutorials completed and ABSITE score (linear regression analysis best-fit slope, -0.34 +/- 0.22; r2 = 0.25).
Conclusion:
There was no demonstrable beneficial effect of a Web-based educational tool on cognitive knowledge of residents as measured by ABSITE scores.