Building First-Year Medical Students' Skills in Finding, Evaluating, and Visualizing Health Information Through a...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Communication
• Information Literacy

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated innovative online learning for medical students.
• Traditional service learning opportunities were disrupted, requiring alternative educational approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement an online service learning module for medical students.
• To equip students with skills in evidence retrieval, evaluation, and dissemination of health information.
• To address the challenge of combating medical misinformation during a public health crisis.

Main Methods:

• A "Debunking Medical Myths" module was created by faculty and librarians.
• Students learned to search and critically appraise emerging medical literature.
• Students developed infographics to communicate evidence-based information to a non-medical audience.

Main Results:

• Students successfully created visually appealing infographics that simplified complex health topics.
• The module was positively received, with students showing a strong grasp of infographic use in health communication.
• Community members highly rated the students' work and its clarity.

Conclusions:

• The online module effectively provided a valuable service learning experience for medical students.
• Students enhanced their ability to critically evaluate medical literature and communicate findings to the public.
• Infographics serve as an effective tool for disseminating accurate health information and combating medical myths.