Supporting Students With Electronic Health Record-Embedded Learning Aids: A Mixed-Methods Study

Sanne Peters; Geraldine Clarebout; Bert Aertgeerts; Jimmie Leppink; Ann Roex

doi:10.2196/11351

Supporting Students With Electronic Health Record-Embedded Learning Aids: A Mixed-Methods Study

JMIR Med Educ. 2019 Apr 12;5(1):e11351. doi: 10.2196/11351.

Authors

Sanne Peters¹, Geraldine Clarebout^{2

3}, Bert Aertgeerts¹, Jimmie Leppink⁴, Ann Roex⁵

Affiliations

¹ Academic Center for General Practice, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
² Center for Instructional Psychology and Technology, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
³ Department of Educational Development and Research, School of Health Professions Education, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.
⁴ Hull York Medical School, University of York, York, United Kingdom.
⁵ Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.

PMID: 30977741
PMCID: PMC6484259
DOI: 10.2196/11351

Abstract

Background: Students often perceive workplace-based learning as disconnected from what they learn in medical school. Interventions that deal with this issue regularly involve feedback and/or learning aids. Feedback has frequently been encouraged in previous research, whereas the use of aids is less understood.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the added value of learning aids in making the connection and enhancing the transfer of learning between medical school and workplace-based learning.

Methods: First-year students in postgraduate general practice training participated in a mixed-methods study. Within a quasi-experimental design, two conditions were investigated: (1) students having access to electronic health record (EHR)-embedded learning aids and feedback and (2) students only receiving feedback. Semistructured interviews were conducted and analyzed according to the thematic analysis approach.

Results: Forty-four students participated in this study. No significant difference was found between the two conditions (t₄₂=-0.511, P=.61, 95% CI -4.86 to 2.90). Nevertheless, students used the aids frequently and found them useful. Given that the aids were familiar to students and contained practice-based instructions in an easily accessible format, they were perceived as feasible to use during workplace-based learning. They also appeared to stimulate transfer of learning, self-confidence, reflection, and interaction between student and supervisor.

Conclusions: Access to EHR-embedded learning aids offers additional support during, but also before and after, patient encounters. The aids can be easily implemented into workplace-based learning.

Keywords: electronic health record; electronic performance support system; integrated learning; learning aids; transfer of learning; workplace learning.

©Sanne Peters, Geraldine Clarebout, Bert Aertgeerts, Jimmie Leppink, Ann Roex. Originally published in JMIR Medical Education (http://mededu.jmir.org), 12.04.2019.