A review of methods to assess the economic impact of distributed medical education (DME) in Canada.

Kim Lemky, Pierre Gagne, Jill Konkin, Karl Stobbe, Gervan Fearon, Sylvia Blom, Geneviève Maltais Lapointe

Abstract readReview

In one paragraph

Review in Canadian medical education journal, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

1citing papers in PubMed

–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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

Evaluation of a Mobile Telesimulation Unit to Train Rural and Remote Practitioners on High-Acuity Low-Occurrence Procedures: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2019
Trial

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

7 authors.

Kim LemkyBrandon University, Manitoba, Canada.

Pierre GagneCampus de l'Université de Montréal en Mauricie, Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Jill KonkinDivison of Community Engagement, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada.

Karl StobbeNiagara Regional Campus, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada.

Gervan FearonBrock University, Ontario, Canada.

Sylvia BlomCharles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University, New York, United States.

Geneviève Maltais LapointeInstitutional Data & Analysis, Brandon University, Manitoba, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCanadian distributed medical education (DME) increased substantially in the last decade, resulting in positive economic impacts to local communities. A reliable and simple method to estimate economic contributions is essential to provide managers with information on the extent of these impacts. This review paper fills a gap in the literature by answering the question: What are the most applicable quantitative methods to assess the economic impact of Canadian DME programs?

methodsThe literature is reviewed to identify economic assessment methods. These are evaluated and compared based on the benefits, challenges, data needs, outputs and potential for use in the DME context.

resultsWe identified five economic impact methods used in similar contexts. Two of these methods have the potential for Canadian DME programs: the Canadian Input-Output (I-O) model and the Simplified American Council on Education (ACE) method.

conclusionChoice of a method is contingent on the ability to measure the salient economic impacts, and provide an output that facilitates sustainable decision making. This paper thus fills a gap by identifying methods applicable to DME. These methods will assist stakeholders to calculate economic impacts, resulting in both the advancement and sustainability of these programs over short-and long-term time frames.

Identifiers

PMID30140340

PMCPMC6104329

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY

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Registered trials

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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.