Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26330059›Full record

Trial reportBMC medical education2015

Introducing global health into the undergraduate medical school curriculum using an e-learning program: a mixed method pilot study.

Douglas Gruner, Kevin Pottie, Douglas Archibald, Jill Allison, Vicki Sabourin, Imane Belcaid, Anne McCarthy, Mahli Brindamour, Lana Augustincic Polec, Pauline Duke

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC medical education, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
23citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

23 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Virtual global health in graduate medical education: a systematic review.International journal of medical education · 2022
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Douglas GrunerDepartment of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa, 43 Bruyère Street, K1N 5C8, Ottawa, ON, Canada. gruner18@yahoo.ca.
Kevin PottieDepartment of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa, 43 Bruyère Street, K1N 5C8, Ottawa, ON, Canada. kpottie@uottawa.ca.
Douglas ArchibaldDepartment of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa, 43 Bruyère Street, K1N 5C8, Ottawa, ON, Canada. darchibald@bruyere.org.
Jill AllisonDivision of Community Health and Humanities, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 300 Prince Phillip Drive, A1B 3V6, St. John's, NF, Canada. jill.allison@med.mun.ca.
Vicki SabourinC.T. Lamont Centre for Research in Primary Care, University of Ottawa, 43 Bruyère Street, K1N 5C8, Ottawa, ON, Canada. sabourin.vicki@gmail.com.
Imane BelcaidDepartment of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa, 43 Bruyère Street, K1N 5C8, Ottawa, ON, Canada. ibelc081@uottawa.ca.
Anne McCarthyDepartment of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa Hospital General Campus, 501 Smyth Road, K1H 8L6, Ottawa, ON, Canada. amccarthy@toh.on.ca.
Mahli BrindamourDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Saskatchewan, Royal University Hospital, 103 Hospital Drive, S7N 0W8, Saskatoon, SK, Canada. mahli.brindamour@usask.ca.
Lana Augustincic PolecDepartment of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, K1H 8M5, Ottawa, ON, Canada. laugusti@uottawa.ca.
Pauline DukeDepartment of Family Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 300 Prince Phillip Drive, A1B 3V6, St. John's, NF, Canada. pduke@mun.ca.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPhysicians need global health competencies to provide effective care to culturally and linguistically diverse patients. Medical schools are seeking innovative approaches to support global health learning. This pilot study evaluated e-learning versus peer-reviewed articles to improve conceptual knowledge of global health.

methodsA mixed methods study using a randomized-controlled trial (RCT) and qualitative inquiry consisting of four post-intervention focus groups. Outcomes included pre/post knowledge quiz and self-assessment measures based on validated tools from a Global Health CanMEDS Competency Model. RCT results were analyzed using SPSS-21 and focus group transcripts coded using NVivo-9 and recoded using thematic analysis.

resultsOne hundred and sixty-one pre-clerkship medical students from three Canadian medical schools participated in 2012-2013: 59 completed all elements of the RCT, 24 participated in the focus groups. Overall, comparing pre to post results, both groups showed a significant increase in the mean knowledge (quiz) scores and for 5/7 self-assessed competencies (p < 0.05). These quantitative data were triangulated with the focus groups findings that revealed knowledge acquisition with both approaches. There was no statistically significant difference between the two approaches. Participants highlighted their preference for e-learning to introduce new global health knowledge and as a repository of resources. They also mentioned personal interest in global health, online convenience and integration into the curriculum as incentives to complete the e-learning. Beta version e-learning barriers included content overload and technical difficulties.

conclusionsBoth the e-learning and the peer reviewed PDF articles improved global health conceptual knowledge. Many students however, preferred e-learning given its interactive, multi-media approach, access to links and reference materials and its capacity to engage and re-engage over long periods of time.

Indexed as

Computer-Assisted InstructionCurriculumAdultEducational MeasurementEducation, Medical, UndergraduateFemaleFocus GroupsGlobal HealthHumansMalePilot ProjectsProgram EvaluationQualitative ResearchSelf-AssessmentTeachingYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID26330059
PMCPMC4557599

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.