Browsing by keyword "Problem-Based Learning"

Now showing items 1-3 of 3

    • Designing tailored Web-based instruction to improve practicing physicians' preventive practices
      Casebeer, Linda L.; Strasser, Sheryl M.; Spettell, Claire M.; Wall, Terry C.; Weissman, Norman W.; Ray, Midge N.; Allison, Jeroan J. (2003-10-01)
      BACKGROUND: The World Wide Web has led to the rapid growth of medical information and continuing medical educational offerings. Ease of access and availability at any time are advantages of the World Wide Web. Existing physician-education sites have often been designed and developed without systematic application of evidence and cognitive-educational theories; little rigorous evaluation has been conducted to determine which design factors are most effective in facilitating improvements in physician performance and patient-health outcomes that might occur as a result of physician participation in Web-based education. Theory and evidence-based Web design principles include the use of: needs assessment, multimodal strategies, interactivity, clinical cases, tailoring, credible evidence-based content, audit and feedback, and patient-education materials. Ease of use and design to support the lowest common technology denominator are also important. OBJECTIVE: Using these principles, design and develop a Web site including multimodal strategies for improving chlamydial-screening rates among primary care physicians. METHODS: We used office-practice data in needs assessment and as an audit/feedback tool. In the intervention introduced in 4 phases over 11 months, we provided a series of interactive, tailored, case vignettes with feedback on peer answers. We included a quality-improvement toolbox including clinical practice guidelines and printable patient education materials. RESULTS: In the formative evaluation of the first 2 chlamydia modules, data regarding the recruitment, enrollment, participation, and reminders have been examined. Preliminary evaluation data from a randomized, controlled trial has tested the effectiveness of this intervention in improving chlamydia screening rates with a significant increase in intervention physicians' chlamydia knowledge, attitude, and skills compared to those of a control group. CONCLUSIONS: The application of theory in the development and evaluation of a Web-based continuing medical education intervention offers valuable insight into World Wide Web technology's influence on physician performance and the quality of medical care.

    • Psychopharmacology curriculum field test
      Zisook, Sidney; Balon, Richard; Benjamin, Sheldon; Beresin, Eugene; Goldberg, David J.; Jibson, Michael D.; Thrall, Grace (2009-10-16)
      OBJECTIVE: As part of an effort to improve psychopharmacology training in psychiatric residency programs, a committee of residency training directors and associate directors adapted an introductory schizophrenia presentation from the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology's Model Psychopharmacology Curriculum to develop a multimodal, interactive training module. This article describes the module, its development, and the results of a field trial to test its feasibility and usefulness. METHODS: Nineteen residency programs volunteered to use the module during the first half of the 2007-2008 academic year. Evaluation consisted of a structured phone interview with the training director or teaching faculty of participating programs during February and early March 2008, asking whether and how they used the curriculum, which components they found most useful, and how it was received by faculty and residents. RESULTS: Of the 19 programs, 14 used the module and 13 participated in the evaluation. The most commonly used components were the pre- and postmodule questions, video-enhanced presentation, standard presentation, problem- or team-based teaching module, and other problem-based teaching modules. No two programs used the module in the same fashion, but it was well received by instructors and residents regardless of use. CONCLUSION: The results of this field trial suggest that a dynamic, adult-centered curriculum that is exciting, innovative, and informative enough for a wide variety of programs can be developed; however, the development and programmatic barriers require considerable time and effort to overcome.

    • Teaching medical students about disability: the use of standardized patients
      Long-Bellil, Linda M.; Robey, Kenneth L.; Graham, Catherine L.; Minihan, Paula M.; Smeltzer, Suzanne C.; Kahn, Paul (2011-09-01)
      Standardized patients (SPs), now a mainstay of the undergraduate medical education experience, are beginning to play larger roles in helping students build competencies to better serve patients who have disabilities, in educating students about the lived experiences of persons with disabilities, and in testing students' understanding of disability-related issues. In this article, the authors discuss several U.S. training programs that involve SPs who have disabilities or SPs who do not have disabilities but who portray patients who do. The authors review the goals of each program (e.g., to provide students with opportunities to gain experience with patients with disabilities), describe their commonalities (enhancing students' interview skills) and differences (some programs are educational; some are evaluative), and summarize the evaluative data of each. The authors also explore the benefits and challenges of working with SPs with disabilities and of working with SPs without disabilities. Finally, they consider the practical issues (e.g., recruiting SPs) of developing and implementing such programs.