Training in medical communication competence through video-based e-learning: How effective are video modeling and...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Digital Learning Environments
• Communication Skills Training

Background:

• Effective communication is crucial for medical professionals.
• Digital learning environments offer new avenues for medical training.
• Assessing didactic approaches in virtual settings is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of video modeling (VM), video reflection (VR), and a combined approach (VMR) for medical communication competence.
• To evaluate these methods within a video-based digital learning setting.
• To determine the optimal didactic strategy for improving communication skills.

Main Methods:

• A pre-post study involving 126 third-year medical students.
• Assignment to intervention groups (VM, VR, VMR) or a wait-list control.
• Assessment using a situational judgment test (SJT) for communication competence.
• Planned contrast analyses to compare group differences.

Main Results:

• Video reflection (VR) significantly improved learning outcomes compared to video modeling (VM).
• No significant differences were found between combined approaches (VMR) and control groups.
• The positive impact of VR offset the lower scores in VM, affecting overall group comparisons.

Conclusions:

• Video reflection (VR) is a more effective didactic approach than video modeling (VM) for enhancing medical communication competence.
• Interactive VR can facilitate medical students' learning in digital environments.
• VR shows promise for targeted skill development in medical education.