Skills and knowledge of medical students after completing emergency medicine course using three different teaching approaches

 Jan Breckwoldt ¹
Dominik Beetz

¹ Charit? - Campus Benjamin Franklin, Klinik f?r An?sthesiologie und operative Intensivmedizin, Berlin, Deutschland

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Workshop

Objectives: To compare three different teaching approaches in emergency medicine.

Methods: 5th year medical students were randomly assigned to three groups. Group 1 was given a conventional university teaching using problem based learning (PBL) on mega code dummies. Group 2 was trained and then supported a Basic Life Support (BLS) unit of the Emergency Medical Service for a working day, and group 3 was trained and then sent to teach Basic Life Support (BLS) to schoolchildren. After the course the students were evaluated by a written test and an objective structured clinical examination (OCSE). The OSCE was interpreted regarding total measured points and mistakes relevant to patient's safety.

Results: The written test results were not statistically different for all groups. For total measured points of the OSCE group 1 (university-PBL) reached 78% of possible points, group 2 (EMS) 77%, and group 3 (school) 83%. Mistakes with potential to compromise patient's safety were seen 38% in group 1, 30% in group 2, and 14% in group 3. There was no statistical difference for total OSCE points, but concerning potential patient's safety significant difference was present between group 3 (school) and the other two groups.

Conclusion: Making medical students teach resuscitation to schoolchildren does not lead to worse performance in theoretical knowledge of emergency medicine as compared to traditional medical training. Regarding the potential safety of a patient practical performance is significantly better.