Low Back Pain in the Emergency Medicine Department: A Flipped Classroom Module.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Adult Learning Theory

Background:

• Traditional hour-long lectures conflict with adult learning principles and millennial resident needs.
• The flipped classroom model offers an alternative, featuring pre-class video lectures and in-class active discussions.
• This module was specifically designed for emergency medicine residents and medical students with no prior subject knowledge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a flipped classroom module for emergency medicine didactics.
• To assess the effectiveness of this novel educational approach compared to traditional lectures.

Main Methods:

• The module utilized at-home video lectures followed by 30-45 minute in-class discussions.
• Optimal small-group size was identified as five participants.
• The module included objectives, video content, a faculty discussion guide, student handouts, and assessment questions.
• Module effectiveness was evaluated using pretests, immediate posttests, and 90-day retention tests.

Main Results:

• Mean pretest scores were 66%, increasing to 76% on immediate posttests.
• A 10% score increase was observed immediately after the module.
• This score improvement was not sustained at the 90-day retention test, with scores returning to 66%.

Conclusions:

• A flipped classroom module was successfully developed for emergency medicine residency and clerkship programs.
• This approach addresses limitations of traditional didactics by promoting problem-solving and self-directed learning.
• While demonstrating immediate learning gains, long-term knowledge retention requires further investigation.