ReviewCurrent problems in cardiology2024
EDUCATE: An international, randomized controlled trial for teaching electrocardiography.
Review in Current problems in cardiology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 11 citations in OpenAlex.
- Self-directed learning versus traditional didactic learning in undergraduate medical education: a systemic review and meta-analysis.BMC medical education · 2025Pooled it
- Boosting electrocardiography leads location training through virtual reality simulation: effects on skill performance and learner satisfaction.BMC medical education · 2026Article
- [ECG interpretation in rescue and emergency medical services in Germany: results of a cross-sectional study].Medizinische Klinik, Intensivmedizin und Notfallmedizin · 2026Article
- Knowledge and Attitudes Towards ECG Interpretation Among Intensive Care Nurses: A Greek Cross-Sectional Study.Nursing in critical care · 2026Article
- Teaching bird species recognition may improve clinicians' ability to accurately analyse ECG recordings.Postepy w kardiologii interwencyjnej = Advances in interventional cardiology · 2025Article
- Impact of self-directed e-learning on nurses' competency in arrhythmia interpretation in cardiology.PloS one · 2025Article
- A Novel Microlearning Asynchronous Curriculum to Improve Internal Medicine Trainees' Confidence and Skill in Interpreting ECGs.Journal of medical education and curricular developmentArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
23 authors at 11 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
introductionDespite the critical role of electrocardiograms (ECGs) in patient care, evident gaps exist in ECG interpretation competency among healthcare professionals across various medical disciplines and training levels. Currently, no practical, evidence-based, and easily accessible ECG learning solution is available for healthcare professionals. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of web-based, learner-directed interventions in improving ECG interpretation skills in a diverse group of healthcare professionals.
methodsIn an international, prospective, randomized controlled trial, 1206 healthcare professionals from various disciplines and training levels were enrolled. They underwent a pre-intervention test featuring 30 12-lead ECGs with common urgent and non-urgent findings. Participants were randomly assigned to four groups: (i) practice ECG interpretation question bank (question bank), (ii) lecture-based learning resource (lectures), (iii) hybrid question- and lecture-based learning resource (hybrid), or (iv) no ECG learning resources (control). After four months, a post-intervention test was administered. The primary outcome was the overall change in ECG interpretation performance, with secondary outcomes including changes in interpretation time, self-reported confidence, and accuracy for specific ECG findings. Both unadjusted and adjusted scores were used for performance assessment.
resultsAmong 1206 participants, 863 (72 %) completed the trial. Following the intervention, the question bank, lectures, and hybrid intervention groups each exhibited significant improvements, with average unadjusted score increases of 11.4 % (95 % CI, 9.1 to 13.7; P<0.01), 9.8 % (95 % CI, 7.8 to 11.9; P<0.01), and 11.0 % (95 % CI, 9.2 to 12.9; P<0.01), respectively. In contrast, the control group demonstrated a non-significant improvement of 0.8 % (95 % CI, -1.2 to 2.8; P=0.54). While no differences were observed among intervention groups, all outperformed the control group significantly (P<0.01). Intervention groups also excelled in adjusted scores, confidence, and proficiency for specific ECG findings.
conclusionWeb-based, self-directed interventions markedly enhanced ECG interpretation skills across a diverse range of healthcare professionals, providing an accessible and evidence-based solution.
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Registered trials
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.