Effectiveness of an e-learning course in evidence-based medicine for foundation (internship) training

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

• Traditional lecture-based teaching is common for medical education.
• Evaluating novel educational methods like e-learning is crucial for improving medical training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the educational effectiveness of a clinically integrated e-learning course versus a traditional lecture-based course for teaching basic evidence-based medicine (EBM).
• To assess knowledge gain in postgraduate medical trainees.

Main Methods:

• A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted involving postgraduate trainees in UK teaching hospitals.
• Knowledge gain was measured using a validated multiple-choice questionnaire.
• Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to compare knowledge change between the e-learning and lecture groups, adjusting for baseline covariates.

Main Results:

• The study included 237 trainees (122 e-learning, 115 lecture).
• No significant difference in EBM knowledge improvement was found between the e-learning and lecture-based groups after adjusting for baseline knowledge.
• The adjusted difference in knowledge improvement was minimal (0.1 scoring points).

Conclusions:

• The clinically integrated e-learning course was as effective as the traditional lecture-based course in improving EBM knowledge.
• E-learning offers potential benefits for standardizing teaching materials and may be a cost-effective alternative for EBM curricula.