Evidence for a case-based module in the low-resource setting to teach ectopic pregnancy management.

Introduction: Case-based learning (CBL) utilizes authentic clinical cases that connect theory to practice. CBL has been shown to result in deeper learning and high engagement of adult learners. An open-source, web-based CBL module was created to help learners develop the cognitive foundation of ectopic pregnancy management in the low-resource setting. We present psychometric evidence that supports the use of this web-based CBL in the low-resource setting. Methods: The case scenario comprising 20 topics in ectopic pregnancy management was created by an Ethiopian team member and hosted on an interactive web-based platform. The module was reviewed by Ethiopian, Cameroonian, and US surgeons and OB/GYN team members for content, relevance, and clarity, followed by a psychometrician for clarity, bias, relevance, and alignment. Twenty participants (3-Mbingo Baptist Hospital-Cameroon, 6-Soddo Christian Hospital-Ethiopia, 3-Southern Illinois University (SIU), and 8-University of Michigan (UM)) then completed the module. Four attending surgeons (2 OB/GYN, 2 general surgery) were designated experts while 10 medical students and 6 residents were designated novices. The module included a 10-item dichotomously scored pre-test, the CBL content, and the same, but shuffled, post-test. Pre- and post-test summed scores were compared using paired Student's Results: Findings indicated a statistically significant improvement in participants' mean summed scores from pre-test ( Conclusion: Our findings suggest that using a web-based CBL module could be used to effectively improve understanding of the management of ectopic pregnancy in the low-resource setting, especially for nascent surgeons. The concept of a web-based CBL module has special attraction in the low-resource setting as it may target the adult surgical learner in remote regions where established technologies and existing experts are unavailable.