A Scoping Review of the Use of Cinema Education in Training Medical Preceptors

Medical students' education is strongly influenced by learning experiences with their preceptors. Continuing education programs (CEPs) are an excellent vehicle for training preceptors who supervise students in clinical settings. Continuing education programs sometimes include innovative teaching strategies such as cinema education, meaning the use of film in medical education. This study explores the use of cinema education in training medical preceptors, focusing on the type of cinema education used, the content presented, its application and its evaluation.

This review was planned and conducted in accordance with the steps described by Arksey and O'Malley, and in compliance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. Primary sources searched included Medline, Embase, CINAHL, APA PsychINFO, ERIC, Education Source, and Scopus. All studies conducted with preceptors were included. All research designs detailing the use of cinema education in training for preceptors were considered. The articles were processed and evaluated by 2 pairs of reviewers using the COVIDENCE tool and then synthesized in narrative form.

Of the 4719 studies reviewed, 14 were selected for extraction. This scoping review shows that cinema education is used chiefly in the form of video mini-series. The videos are generally viewed remotely in asynchronous mode, and they typically feature simulated clinical situations designed to develop preceptors' feedback skills. The videos are normally evaluated through post-screening surveys.

This scoping review examined the type (format), content, application, and evaluation of cinema education in training programs for medical preceptors. The predominant format consisted of a series of video clips depicting clinical scenarios. Most of the videos were designed to enable preceptors to develop their feedback skills. The videos were mainly viewed remotely in asynchronous mode. Future studies could assess how effective cinema education is in training medical preceptors.