How does video case-based learning influence clinical decision-making by midwifery students? An exploratory study.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Midwifery Training
• Clinical Decision-Making

Background:

• Clinical decision-making is crucial for high-quality patient care.
• Case-based learning (CBL) is a common pre-clinical training strategy.
• The impact of different learning modalities on clinical decision-making is underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of video versus paper case modalities on midwifery students' clinical decision-making.
• To compare the decision-making processes fostered by different CBL formats.

Main Methods:

• 45 midwifery students participated in CBL using a normal pregnancy case.
• Students were divided into groups using either video or paper case modalities.
• Group discussions were analyzed for interaction patterns, and focus groups were thematically analyzed using a three-stage clinical decision-making model.

Main Results:

• Video groups focused more on psychosocial aspects, discussing tailored, family-centered care and avoiding certain interventions.
• Paper groups focused more on biomedical aspects, discussing the necessity of specific clinical assessments.
• Distinct differences in focus (psychosocial vs. biomedical) were observed between the two modalities.

Conclusions:

• Video case learning fosters a holistic, woman- and family-centered perspective, emphasizing psychosocial factors in midwifery care.
• Paper case learning promotes a healthcare provider-centered, biomedical perspective, leading to a focus on thorough clinical assessment.
• The choice of learning modality significantly influences the development of clinical decision-making skills in midwifery students.