Crisis, change and the future for teaching and learning in general practice

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• General Practice Training
• Digital Health in Education

Background:

• The Covid-19 pandemic necessitated rapid shifts in medical education delivery.
• Academic General Practice (GP) faced unique challenges in transitioning undergraduate curricula online.
• Understanding adaptation strategies can inform future curriculum development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore decision-making strategies of academic GPs during the shift to virtual general practice education.
• To investigate how pandemic-induced adaptations influence future curriculum design.

Main Methods:

• Constructivist grounded theory (CGT) approach.
• Semi-structured interviews with nine academic GPs from three Irish university departments.
• Analysis of experiences adapting undergraduate general practice education to online platforms.

Main Results:

• The transition was described as a 'response approach' involving inter-institutional collaboration.
• Student feedback's role varied; limited social engagement impacted learning.
• Prior e-learning experience influenced recommendations for continued online components.
• Two institutions plan to integrate blended learning.

Conclusions:

• Participants recognized efficiency and continuity benefits of online learning but were uncertain about specific educational impact.
• Strategic educational design is crucial for balancing online delivery with the socio-cultural learning environment.
• Further consideration is needed on which undergraduate elements are best suited for online delivery.