A Multicenter Evaluation of a Metacognitive Framework for Antimicrobial Selection Education

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Education
• Antimicrobial Stewardship
• Medical Mnemonics

Background:

• Antimicrobial selection is challenging for veterinary students, necessitating better assessment tools and strategies.
• The SODAPOP (Source-Organism-Decided to treat-Antimicrobials-Patient-Option-Plan) mnemonic was developed to enhance metacognition in antimicrobial selection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of the SODAPOP mnemonic on veterinary students' self-efficacy and competence in antimicrobial selection.
• To evaluate the perceived usefulness and future adoption of SODAPOP as an educational tool.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 238 veterinary students from five institutions.
• An online survey with a video-based intervention, with half receiving SODAPOP explanation.
• Pre- and post-intervention self-efficacy ratings and case-based competence assessments using developed rubrics.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant increase in self-efficacy for empiric prescribing was observed in the SODAPOP group (p = .0153).
• No immediate significant impact on selection and plan competence was found.
• Students rated SODAPOP highly as an essential educational tool (mean rank 7.6) and for future use (mean rank 7.2).

Conclusions:

• The SODAPOP mnemonic shows potential for improving veterinary students' self-efficacy in antimicrobial selection.
• Further integration of SODAPOP into veterinary curricula is warranted.
• Development of novel assessment tools and teaching strategies for antimicrobial stewardship is crucial.