IMPROVING ECG LEARNING AND COMPETENCE AMONG MEDICAL AND POSTGRADUATE TRAINEES: SCOPING REVIEW OF AVAILABLE EVIDENCE

Electrocardiogram (ECG) is an important non-invasive tool for cardiac disease evaluation, both for routine cardiac evaluation or in life-threatening emergency settings. Cardiovascular diseases remain the most common cause of death worldwide. It is therefore important that medical doctors should be proficient in ECG interpretation. This scoping review therefore sets out to identify approaches to improving ECG learning and competence among medical and postgraduate trainees.

We performed this review using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis guidelines/checklists. The following databases were searched; PubMed, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), and African Journals Online (AJOL), and all articles investigating the methods of improving ECG learning and competence among medical students and postgraduate trainees published between 1st January 2000 and 31st December 2022 were included. Data was screened and extracted by at least three independent reviewers.

A total of 25 articles (19 randomized control trials, one cohort studies and 5 cross-sectional studies were identified. Most studies were from Europe while 20% of them were from the United States. Various modalities of ECG learning were identified which varied from traditional lecture based or electronic learning, formative vs summative methods, multiple integrated/ blended methods, internet versus non-internet methods, computersimulated program or traditional teaching leads and so on.

We concluded that no single method of ECG learning is superior, however, a combination of conventional and electronic methods works better than either one as a standalone. Therefore, trainers should identify and adopt the most effective methods to enhance ECG competence among their trainees.