The flipped classroom in medical education: A new standard in teaching.

Many medical educators, out of necessity imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, had to flip their classrooms. However, instead of adapting to this new teaching style, many have proceeded in the manner that they have always used to create content, opening a slide deck and inserting content until they are satisfied with the result. When in fact, we know based on evidence and our own experience, that educators should first plan, organize, and storyboard before collecting information into a presentation [1,2]. If educators need to replace real-world teaching and interaction, we believe the next best option is video education, although there are other forms of prework that can be utilized to flip medical classrooms, including short readings and exercises. We discuss the case for flipping medical classrooms, the limitations, and how educators can get started flipping their classrooms today.

An age-adjusted instruction video enhances the correct use of nasal corticosteroid sprays in children.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Allergic rhinitis is a common disorder. Intranasal corticosteroid sprays are used to control symptoms. However, incorrect use of these sprays can decrease efficacy and lead to side effects such as nose bleeding. We studied if watching an age-adjusted instruction video is effective to improve administration technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We invited children who used intranasal corticosteroid sprays. We examined their administration technique before, directly after, and one month after showing them an age-adjusted instruction video. We compared their administration technique with the instructions in the patient information leaflet. We assessed whether the children performed the seventeen maneuvers mentioned in the patient information leaflet and the eight we considered essential. RESULTS: Of the 99 eligible children, 23 (15 boys, median age nine years) participated. Before watching the instruction video none of them administered according to all maneuvers in the patient information leaflet or showed all essential maneuvers. One month after seeing the instruction video, three children demonstrated correct inhalation as per the patient information leaflet. Three performed the essential maneuvers. When a 75% threshold level for carrying out all 17 maneuvers was used, still none showed 75% of all or of the essential maneuvers before watching the video. Yet, after one month 12 children showed sufficient administration technique (52%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 31%-73%, p = 0.004). Nine showed all essential manoeuvres (47%, 95%CI 24%-71%, p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: An age-adjusted instruction video is a useful and easy method to teach children to administer nasal intranasal corticosteroid sprays correctly.

Online Video Instruction on Hand Expression of Colostrum in Pregnancy is an Effective Educational Tool.

The use of antenatal colostrum expression in the weeks prior to birth may help improve long-term breastfeeding, but few large-scale studies exist. Typically, antenatal colostrum expression instruction relies on face-to-face education, making large interventions costly. We aimed to determine whether an expert online instructional video can improve knowledge and confidence around antenatal colostrum expressing. Pregnant women were asked to complete a questionnaire pre- and post-watching the instructional video online. Ninety five pregnant women completed both pre- and post-questionnaires. Total antenatal colostrum expression knowledge scores improved after watching the video, from a mean of 3.05 ± 1.70 correct out of a maximum of 7, to 6.32 ± 0.76 (p < 0.001). Self-reported confidence around hand expressing in pregnancy also improved from an average ranking of not confident (2.56 ± 1.17, out of a possible 5) to confident (4.32 ± 0.80, p < 0.001). Almost all women (98%) reported that they would recommend the video to a friend or family member if antenatal colostrum expression was suggested by their healthcare provider. Findings suggest that the use of an online expert video is an acceptable and effective way to educate pregnant women in antenatal colostrum expression.

Animation and interactivity facilitate acquisition of pediatric life support skills: a randomized controlled trial using virtual patients versus video instruction.

BACKGROUND: Several promising studies suggest a positive impact of interactive and media-enriched e-learning resources such as virtual patients (VP) on skill acquisition in pediatric basic life support (PBLS). This study investigates which immanent VP components account for this effect. METHODS: N = 103 medical students in their 5th year were assigned to one of three groups: a video group prepared with self-instructional videos on PBLS (N = 37); an animation-enriched VP group with VP containing interactive questions (N = 35), static and animated media, and a static VP group with VP containing interactive questions and only static media (N = 31). Subsequent PBLS demonstrations were video-documented and scored for adherence to guideline-based algorithm, temporal demands (such as correct pace of rescue breaths and chest compressions), and quality of procedural steps (e.g., correct head positioning), as well as overall competency by two group-blinded, independent pediatricians. RESULTS: Groups did not differ with regard to adherence to correct algorithm (88.7 ± 10.3, 93.3 ± 6.7 and 90.3 ± 10.5, respectively). Self-instruction with animated media - through videos or animation-enriched VP - resulted in a better adherence to temporal demands, as compared with training with static VP (64.5 ± 26.3 and 50.7 ± 25.7, respectively, vs. 23.8 ± 21.0). Procedural quality by the video group was slightly inferior compared with the animation-enriched VP group (79.5 ± 12.3 vs. 82.0 ± 11.9), and distinct inferior in overall 'competent' ratings (43.2% vs. 65.7%). The static VP group performed considerably most poorly of all three groups (temporal adherence 73.2 ± 11.9 and 19.4% 'competent' ratings). CONCLUSIONS: VP can feasibly enhance PBLS skill acquisition. Thoughtful design of animations and interactivity of the VP further improves such skill acquisition, both in quality of performance and in adherence to temporal demands.

Transplantation of schistosome sporocysts between host snails: A video guide.

Schistosomiasis is an important parasitic disease, touching roughly 200 million people worldwide. The causative agents are different Schistosoma species. Schistosomes have a complex life cycle, with a freshwater snail as intermediate host. After infection, sporocysts develop inside the snail host and give rise to human dwelling larvae. We present here a detailed step-by-step video instruction in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese that shows how these sporocysts can be manipulated and transferred from one snail to another. This procedure provides a technical basis for different types of ex vivo modifications, such as those used in functional genomics studies.

The effects of preoperative, video-assisted anesthesia education in Spanish on Spanish-speaking patients' anxiety, knowledge, and satisfaction: a pilot study.

We studied the effect of an instructional video in Spanish on self-reported anxiety, knowledge about general anesthesia procedures, and satisfaction with the preoperative anesthesia process in patients requiring a Spanish interpreter. This prospective, randomized, nonblinded pilot study took place at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a university-affiliated tertiary-care hospital. Twenty adult, ASA physical status 1, 2, and 3 patients, scheduled for elective surgery (gynecological, orthopedic, and intrabdominal surgery) during general anesthesia were studied. Anxiety, knowledge, and patient satisfaction were assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS). There was a significant reduction in anxiety score in patients who viewed the video compared with those who did not (median reduction 2 vs 0; P = 0.020). There was an increase in satisfaction score in the video group (median increase 2 vs 0; P = 0.046). There was no difference in reported knowledge-improvement scores between the two groups (3.5 vs 4; P = 0.908). In Spanish-speaking patients, the addition of an instructional video in Spanish to a preanesthesia interview decreased anxiety and increased patient satisfaction.

Comparative effectiveness of instructional methods: oral and pharyngeal cancer examination.

This study compared the effectiveness of different methods of instruction for the oral and pharyngeal cancer examination. A group of thirty sophomore students at the University of Florida College of Dentistry were randomly assigned to three training groups: video instruction, a faculty-led hands-on instruction, or both video and hands-on instruction. The training intervention involved attending two sessions spaced two weeks apart. The first session used a pretest to assess students' baseline didactic knowledge and clinical examination technique. The second session utilized two posttests to assess the comparative effectiveness of the training methods on didactic knowledge and clinical technique. The key findings were that students performed the clinical examination significantly better with the combination of video and faculty-led hands-on instruction (p<0.01). All students improved their clinical exam skills, knowledge, and confidence in performing the oral and pharyngeal cancer examination independent of which training group they were assigned. Utilizing both video and interactive practice promoted greater performance of the clinical technique on the oral and pharyngeal cancer examination.

Observer training revisited: a comparison of in vivo and video instruction.

We compared the effects of 2 observer-training procedures. In vivo training involved practice during actual treatment sessions. Video training involved practice while watching progressively more complex simulations. Fifty-nine undergraduate students entered 1 of the 2 training conditions sequentially according to an ABABAB design. Results showed that the 2 training methods produced almost identical scores on a posttraining observational test; however, the video method required fewer training sessions to complete.