Picture this! Use of comics to orient learners to bedside rounding

Comics are an emerging medium in medical education for communicating clinical information and patient perspectives. Thus, comics are a promising vehicle for orienting learners to potentially challenging clinical experiences like bedside rounding. The authors asked the following research questions: Does use of comics to orient learners to bedside rounding improve learner self-efficacy? Does use of comics improve attending comfort with orienting learners?

The authors created a comics-based orientation to bedside rounding grounded in existing literature and faculty input. The comic book depicted a hospital team performing bedside rounds and included scripts and trouble-shooting strategies. The authors randomized faculty along with their teams to use the comic book for orientation or to usual practice, from July 2023 to June 2024. Baseline surveys of learners assessed self-efficacy with bedside rounding and attending comfort with orienting learners to bedside rounding. The authors compared baseline survey data to post-intervention survey data among comics-based orientation recipients versus the control group.

Twenty-one attendings participated, along with their teams (233 total participants). Response rates were 75% (175/233, baseline survey) and 72% (133/186, post-intervention survey). At baseline, 17% (20/117) of non-resident learners reported feeling comfortable with bedside rounding, and 17% (20/117) reported feeling competent. After the intervention, 78% (29/37) in the comics group reported feeling comfortable, compared to 61% (28/46) among controls, and 73% (27/37) reported feeling competent, compared to 43% (20/46) among controls. Among the attendings in the intervention group, 100% (9/9) felt comfortable orienting learners, compared to 67% (6/9) in the control group.

The authors found that a higher proportion of learners reported self-efficacy related to bedside rounding in the groups randomized to the comics intervention versus usual practice. The orientation was feasible to implement. Next steps include assessing whether a comics-based orientation increases uptake of bedside rounding.