Full text

Turn on search term navigation

© 2023. This work is licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Background:Zambia is facing a severe shortage of health care workers, particularly in rural areas. Innovative educational programs and infrastructure have been established to bridge this gap; however, they encounter substantial challenges because of constraints in physical and human resources. In response to these shortcomings, strategies such as web-based and blended learning approaches have been implemented, using virtual patients (VPs) as a means to promote interactive learning at the Levy Mwanawasa Medical University (LMMU) in Zambia.

Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the students’ knowledge acquisition and acceptance of 2 VP medical topics as a learning tool on a Zambian higher education e-learning platform.

Methods:Using a mixed methods design, we assessed knowledge acquisition using pre- and posttests. In a randomized controlled trial setting, students were assigned (1:1) to 2 medical topics (topic 1: appendicitis and topic 2: severe acute malnutrition) and then to 4 different learning tools within their respective exposure groups: VPs, textbook content, preselected e-learning materials, and self-guided internet materials. Acceptance was evaluated using a 15-item questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale.

Results:A total of 63 third- and fourth-year Bachelor of Science clinical science students participated in the study. In the severe acute malnutrition–focused group, participants demonstrated a significant increase in knowledge within the textbook group (P=.01) and the VP group (P=.01). No substantial knowledge gain was observed in the e-learning group or the self-guided internet group. For the appendicitis-focused group, no statistically significant difference in knowledge acquisition was detected among the 4 intervention groups (P=.62). The acceptance of learning materials exhibited no substantial difference between the VP medical topics and other learning materials.

Conclusions:In the context of LMMU, our study found that VPs were well accepted and noninferior to traditional teaching methods. VPs have the potential to serve as an engaging learning resource and can be integrated into blended learning approaches at LMMU. However, further research is required to investigate the long-term knowledge gain and the acceptance and effectiveness of VPs in medical education.

Trial Registration:Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR) PACTR202211594568574; https://pactr.samrc.ac.za/TrialDisplay.aspx?TrialID=20413

Details

Title
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Interactive Virtual Patients for Medical Education in Zambia: Randomized Controlled Trial
Author
Horst, Rebecca  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Lea-Mara Witsch  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Rayford Hazunga  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Namuziya, Natasha  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Gardner Syakantu  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Ahmed, Yusuf  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Cherkaoui, Omar  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Andreadis, Petros  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Neuhann, Florian  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Barteit, Sandra  VIAFID ORCID Logo 
First page
e43699
Section
Virtual Patients
Publication year
2023
Publication date
2023
Publisher
JMIR Publications
e-ISSN
23693762
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2917890591
Copyright
© 2023. This work is licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.