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Game-Based Medical Education: Learning Effects of an Interdisciplinary and Interprofessional Escape Room
Lisa Stange1, Torben P P Hornung1,2, Tom Johann Schuster1
1Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Thibautstrasse 4, Heidelberg, 69115 Germany.
Medical Science Educator
|July 13, 2026
Summary
Game-based learning using an interprofessional escape room significantly improved medical students' knowledge retention compared to traditional methods. Students found the escape room engaging and beneficial for teamwork and communication skills.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Game-Based Learning
- Interprofessional Education
Background:
- Innovative didactic methods are increasingly used in medical education.
- This study evaluated a game-based interprofessional learning approach in a German medical school.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary escape room on knowledge gain and student satisfaction.
- To compare knowledge retention between an experimental escape room group and a control group.
Main Methods:
- An interdisciplinary escape room was designed integrating psychiatry, forensic medicine, and infectious diseases learning goals.
- Quasi-experimental design with pre-post intervention questionnaires and a one-month follow-up for knowledge retention assessment.
- Analysis included Repeated Measures ANCOVA for knowledge gain and retention, and an evaluation survey for student satisfaction.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in short-term knowledge gain between groups.
- Significant difference in knowledge retention favoring the escape room group (p=0.001).
- Students rated the escape room as enjoyable, useful for communication and teamwork, with positive perceptions of interprofessional aspects.
Conclusions:
- Escape room-based learning enhances knowledge retention compared to traditional methods.
- The escape room is perceived as more engaging and interprofessional than conventional teaching.
- Further research in randomized controlled settings is recommended to establish causality.
