Use of an Interactive Online Teaching Module Improved Students' Ability to Write a Clinically Appropriate SOAP Note

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medical Education
• Clinical Skills Training
• Medical Informatics

Background:

• Traditional lecture-based instruction for veterinary Subjective-Objective-Assessment-Plan (SOAP) notes offers limited student reflection time.
• Student performance in subsequent courses indicates poor retention and application of SOAP note structure after lecture-based training.
• A need exists for more effective methods to improve veterinary students' SOAP note writing proficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a virtual, interactive, case-based module in enhancing veterinary students' SOAP note writing skills.
• To compare the impact of the virtual module versus traditional lecture format on short-term and long-term skill retention.
• To assess student engagement and feedback regarding the online learning module.

Main Methods:

• Two cohorts of second-year veterinary students were compared: one receiving lecture-based SOAP instruction (LECTURE-2) and another using a virtual module (MODULE-2).
• Third-year student cohorts were also compared: lecture-based (LECTURE-3) versus virtual module (MODULE-3).
• Student-written SOAPs were evaluated using a standardized rubric, with scores compared between groups.

Main Results:

• MODULE-2 students achieved significantly higher SOAP scores than LECTURE-2 students (p = .006).
• MODULE-3 students demonstrated significantly higher scores in the differential diagnosis component compared to LECTURE-3 students (p = .041).
• Student feedback on the online module was positive, indicating improved engagement and reflection.

Conclusions:

• The virtual, interactive module demonstrably improved veterinary students' ability to write clinically appropriate SOAP notes.
• The module facilitated better short-term and long-term retention and application of SOAP note skills.
• Interactive online modules show promise for enhancing clinical documentation skills and student learning in veterinary education.