The use of multimedia clinical case scenario software in a problem-based learning course: impact on faculty workload...

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of using multimedia clinical case scenario software in lieu of text-based problem-based learning (PBL) cases. The specific interests in this study were student learning outcomes and facilitator utilization.

The study was conducted with one cohort of 39 physician assistant (PA) students using the seven text-based PBL cases and adding one DxR Clinician software case. Faculty members facilitated each case. A second cohort of 41 PA students completed a blended curriculum of four PBL text cases and four DxR Clinician cases, including the same case used by the first cohort. The students' clinical reasoning case scores for each cohort were compared using a two-tailed unpaired t-test. During the second cohort's use of the DxR clinician cases, facilitators were available to the students upon request. Facilitator hours for each case in both cohorts were tabulated. A quantitative analysis of faculty time commitment was performed comparing the cohorts using a paired t-test.

The clinical reasoning score between cohorts increased 12% with the increased use of multimedia clinical case scenario software. The savings in faculty facilitator time was 41% using the blended curriculum of text-based cases and multimedia cases. This time savings could potentially rise to 92% using multimedia cases exclusively.

The use of multimedia clinical case scenario software offers an exciting opportunity to encourage clinical reasoning skills using an updated format for PBL. Additionally, the faculty time savings due to decreased PBL facilitation would allow more programs to incorporate PBL into their curriculum.