An Approach to Economic Evaluation in Undergraduate Anatomy Education.

Medical education research is becoming increasingly concerned with the value (defined as "educational outcomes per dollar spent") of different teaching approaches. However, the financial costs of various approaches to teaching anatomy are under-researched, making evidence-based comparisons of the value of different teaching approaches impossible. Therefore, the aims of this study were to report the cost of six popular anatomy teaching methods through a specific, yet generalizable approach, and to demonstrate a process in which these results can be used in conjunction with existing effectiveness data to undertake an economic evaluation. A cost analysis was conducted to report the direct and indirect costs of six anatomy teaching methods, using an established approach to cost-reporting. The financial information was then combined with previously published information about the effectiveness of these six teaching methods in increasing anatomy knowledge, thereby demonstrating how estimations of value can be made. Dissection was reported as the most expensive teaching approach and computer aided instruction/learning (CAI/L) was the least, based on an estimation of total cost per student per year and assuming a student cohort size of just over 1,000 (the United Kingdom average). The demonstrated approach to economic evaluation suggested computer aided instruction/learning as the approach that provided the most value, in terms of education outcomes per dollar spent. The study concludes by suggesting that future medical education research should incorporate substantially greater consideration of cost, in order to draw important conclusions about value for learners.

The Use of Virtual and Augmented Reality in Anatomy Teaching.

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Background - There is a demand for new and efficient tools to teach anatomical sciences. Rapid developments in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) mean educational use of the technology is becoming increasingly viable. However, uptake of this technology in anatomy teaching is still limited. This brief review aims to examine the effectiveness of VR/AR in anatomy teaching and includes evaluation of: head mounted devices (HMDs), stereoscopic projectors and screens, AR Magic Mirrors and AR Magic Books. Methods - PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar were searched for relevant articles from 2013 to 29 th June 2018. Results - Students' academic performance was equal to or better than control methods for all four types of technology. All studies found high levels of student satisfaction for VR/AR teaching methods. Discussion - Various confounding factors and the large heterogeneity between studies are likely to have a major impact on results. Further research into the depth and longevity of learning in the different teaching methods, as well as their cost-effectiveness, would be beneficial for prospective institutions.

Consultant led peer assisted learning model.

BACKGROUND: Undergraduate medical students frequently report inadequate basic surgical skills such as suturing and knot tying. In recent years, peer assisted learning (PAL) has proven to be an effective method of teaching basic surgical skills. The consistency of the teaching and the quality of the content may be questionable in these workshops. This study aimed to develop a consultant led peer assisted learning model (CL-PAL) to facilitate the quality-controlled delivery of basic suturing skills in undergraduate medical education. METHODS: A video on basic suturing techniques was developed with the assistance of an experienced plastic and reconstructive surgeon. Sixty students were recruited and allocated to four workshops across 2 days. Each student was provided with a pre and post workshop form to self-assess their confidence levels with different suturing techniques and theories of suturing. Three PAL facilitators rotated through student stations to address any concerns and to improve the learning experience. RESULTS: From the post-workshop assessment, students expressed increased confidence in handling surgical instruments, suturing and understanding sharp safety. Following this workshop, 90% of the students reported that they were more likely to attend self-directed learning sessions to maintain their acquired skills. Workshop providers also had an opportunity to develop teaching skills such as communication and the demonstration of suturing skills. CONCLUSION: CL-PAL uses technology aided resources created by an experienced surgeon to facilitate the delivery of high quality basic surgical teaching. This model is not only applicable to basic skills training but can also be developed for applications in other specialties. In recent years, peer-assisted learning (PAL) has proven to be an effective method of teaching basic surgical skills.