TY - JOUR
T1 - E-learning in graduate medical education
T2 - Survey of residency program directors
AU - Wittich, Christopher M.
AU - Agrawal, Anoop
AU - Cook, David A.
AU - Halvorsen, Andrew J.
AU - Mandrekar, Jayawant N.
AU - Chaudhry, Saima
AU - Dupras, Denise M.
AU - Oxentenko, Amy S.
AU - Beckman, Thomas J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 The Author(s).
PY - 2017/7/11
Y1 - 2017/7/11
N2 - Background: E-learning - the use of Internet technologies to enhance knowledge and performance - has become a widely accepted instructional approach. Little is known about the current use of e-learning in postgraduate medical education. To determine utilization of e-learning by United States internal medicine residency programs, program director (PD) perceptions of e-learning, and associations between e-learning use and residency program characteristics. Methods: We conducted a national survey in collaboration with the Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine of all United States internal medicine residency programs. Results: Of the 368 PDs, 214 (58.2%) completed the e-learning survey. Use of synchronous e-learning at least sometimes, somewhat often, or very often was reported by 85 (39.7%); 153 programs (71.5%) use asynchronous e-learning at least sometimes, somewhat often, or very often. Most programs (168; 79%) do not have a budget to integrate e-learning. Mean (SD) scores for the PD perceptions of e-learning ranged from 3.01 (0.94) to 3.86 (0.72) on a 5-point scale. The odds of synchronous e-learning use were higher in programs with a budget for its implementation (odds ratio, 3.0 [95% CI, 1.04-8.7]; P =.04). Conclusions: Residency programs could be better resourced to integrate e-learning technologies. Asynchronous e-learning was used more than synchronous, which may be to accommodate busy resident schedules and duty-hour restrictions. PD perceptions of e-learning are relatively moderate and future research should determine whether PD reluctance to adopt e-learning is based on unawareness of the evidence, perceptions that e-learning is expensive, or judgments about value versus effectiveness.
AB - Background: E-learning - the use of Internet technologies to enhance knowledge and performance - has become a widely accepted instructional approach. Little is known about the current use of e-learning in postgraduate medical education. To determine utilization of e-learning by United States internal medicine residency programs, program director (PD) perceptions of e-learning, and associations between e-learning use and residency program characteristics. Methods: We conducted a national survey in collaboration with the Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine of all United States internal medicine residency programs. Results: Of the 368 PDs, 214 (58.2%) completed the e-learning survey. Use of synchronous e-learning at least sometimes, somewhat often, or very often was reported by 85 (39.7%); 153 programs (71.5%) use asynchronous e-learning at least sometimes, somewhat often, or very often. Most programs (168; 79%) do not have a budget to integrate e-learning. Mean (SD) scores for the PD perceptions of e-learning ranged from 3.01 (0.94) to 3.86 (0.72) on a 5-point scale. The odds of synchronous e-learning use were higher in programs with a budget for its implementation (odds ratio, 3.0 [95% CI, 1.04-8.7]; P =.04). Conclusions: Residency programs could be better resourced to integrate e-learning technologies. Asynchronous e-learning was used more than synchronous, which may be to accommodate busy resident schedules and duty-hour restrictions. PD perceptions of e-learning are relatively moderate and future research should determine whether PD reluctance to adopt e-learning is based on unawareness of the evidence, perceptions that e-learning is expensive, or judgments about value versus effectiveness.
KW - Electronic learning
KW - Graduate medical education
KW - Medical education
KW - Program directors
KW - Residency training
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U2 - 10.1186/s12909-017-0953-9
DO - 10.1186/s12909-017-0953-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 28697744
AN - SCOPUS:85022185835
SN - 1472-6920
VL - 17
JO - BMC medical education
JF - BMC medical education
IS - 1
M1 - 114
ER -