The "Flipped Classroom" Model for Teaching in the Intensive Care Unit

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Critical Care Medicine
• Point-of-Care Ultrasound

Background:

• Intensive care units (ICUs) present complex learning challenges due to varied trainee experience and patient acuity.
• Traditional educational methods struggle to provide consistent learning experiences in dynamic ICU environments.
• The flipped classroom model offers a potential solution by shifting knowledge acquisition outside of class time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a flipped classroom curriculum for teaching point-of-care echocardiography.
• To assess improvements in resident knowledge, confidence, and skill application in echocardiography within the surgical ICU.

Main Methods:

• A prospective evaluation of an education curriculum using the flipped classroom model.
• Targeted residents rotating through the surgical ICU.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in pre- and post-intervention scores for knowledge, confidence, perceived usefulness, and likelihood of skill use.
• Learners rated the educational sessions highly across all modules.
• Positive outcomes were consistent across various demographic subgroups and learning styles.

Conclusions:

• The flipped classroom curriculum is an advantageous educational strategy for critical care medicine.
• This pilot study demonstrated successful implementation and positive learner reception.
• The model effectively enhanced resident learning in point-of-care echocardiography.