Pilot Evaluation of an Online Resource for Learning Paediatric Chest Radiograph Interpretation.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Radiology
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Interpreting pediatric chest radiographs is a crucial clinical skill.
• Current training for medical students in pediatric radiography is often unstructured and opportunistic.
• There is a need for effective, structured learning methods for this skill.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an online learning approach for medical students to interpret pediatric chest radiographs.
• To assess the feasibility and engagement of a novel online training module.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Ericsson's expertise acquisition theory to create 100 practice radiographs, difficulty-graded.
• Recruited medical student volunteers for pre- and post-training assessments.
• Conducted a focus group, analyzed via grounded theory, to explore engagement factors.

Main Results:

• 46% of students initially volunteered; engagement declined over the year, especially during exams.
• High dropout rates hindered quantitative effectiveness measurement.
• Focus group identified workload, exam pressure, technical issues, and protocol inflexibility as barriers.

Conclusions:

• The online approach was perceived as relevant and important by students.
• Significant improvements are needed to enhance the effectiveness and engagement of the online training system.
• Future iterations should address student workload and study protocol flexibility.