Rheum4Games: A Game-Based Board Review to Enhance Confidence and Knowledge in Rheumatology for Internal Medicine...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Rheumatology
• Gamification

Background:

• Internal Medicine (IM) residents often score poorly on rheumatology sections of the In-Training Exam (ITE).
• Structured rheumatology electives can improve scores, but are not universally required.
• Gamification is an emerging educational tool with underexplored applications in rheumatology board review.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess if incorporating gamification into existing didactic curricula can improve rheumatology In-Training Exam (ITE) scores.
• To evaluate the impact of a gamified rheumatology board review session on resident satisfaction and engagement.

Main Methods:

• Developed Rheum4Games (R4G), a gamified board review based on Snakes and Ladders.
• 121 residents from 5 IM programs participated in 12 R4G sessions.
• Assessed resident engagement, satisfaction, and confidence via pre/post surveys; compared ITE scores.

Main Results:

• R4G significantly improved resident engagement and satisfaction (n=117).
• Residents reported increased preparedness for rheumatology certification exams.
• No significant difference in median ITE score change between R4G participants and nonparticipants (n=106); however, community programs showed greater improvement (9% vs 8%).

Conclusions:

• Gamification can enhance rheumatology education and resident satisfaction.
• Community-based programs demonstrated statistically significant score improvements compared to university programs.
• Rheum4Games may be a valuable supplement to traditional rheumatology didactics, particularly where resources are limited.