A Learner-Centered Education Strategy: Optimizing an Interactive and Multimodal Learning Format in Orthopaedic Hip &...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Curriculum Development

Background:

• The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery established the Orthopaedic Surgery Milestone Project, necessitating curriculum adjustments in residency and fellowship programs.
• A comprehensive Learner-Centered Education Curriculum (LCEC) was developed through faculty, resident, and fellow collaboration, incorporating structured interviews and iterative feedback.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a new Learner-Centered Education Curriculum (LCEC) on educational, research, and quality metrics four years after its implementation.
• To assess changes in medical knowledge competency using the Orthopedic In-Training Examination (OITE) Hip & Knee domain scores.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of data collected between 2015 and 2019 from an Adult Arthroplasty and Joint Reconstruction Surgery residency and fellowship program at the University of Florida.
• Inclusion of 25 learners (residents PGY-1 to 5, and clinical fellows) and faculty.
• Evaluation using objective academic quality metrics, including OITE scores, publication rates, research awards, conference attendance, and ACGME resident evaluations.

Main Results:

• Orthopedic In-Training Examination scores for the Hip & Knee domain increased from the 50th to the 87th percentile (P=0.042).
• Annual peer-reviewed publications and research awards increased from zero to 20 and 8, respectively (p < 0.05).
• Resident and fellow conference attendance improved from 81% to 99% (p=0.0001), and ACGME resident Likert-evaluations rose from 4.6 to 4.8.

Conclusions:

• The Learner-Centered Education Curriculum (LCEC) positively influenced fund of knowledge, conceptual thinking, and learner attitudes, enhancing the academic learning experience.
• Significant and consistent improvements were observed in academic, research, and quality metrics.
• The LCEC maintained the highest resident evaluation scores, indicating successful educational enhancement.