P134: Orthopedic procedural videos as teaching tools in emergency medicine

Abstract

Innovation Concept: Video has been proven to be an effective educational tool that is valued by learners and objectively improves knowledge and testing scores. It can simplify complex concepts and is more efficient and effective than audio or reading in tests of 3-day material recall. Our objective in this project was to develop a series of instructional videos geared towards emergency and family physicians on proper application of casts and splints in the emergency department. Methods: We created two procedural videos, each 5-6 minutes long. They each reviewed the process, indications, and precise steps for application for each of two splints: the ulnar gutter and the thumb spica. After finalizing the videos, we created a survey to assess feedback, asking questions about the applicability of the videos to the viewer's clinical practice, how interesting they found the content of the videos, what they liked and disliked, and how willing they would be to access future procedural videos if we were to make them. We also had respondents provide suggestions for topics of future videos. We then sent the videos and accompanying survey to a group of McMaster University medical students, residents, and attending physicians in family medicine and emergency medicine. Upon reviewed the results it seemed that there was a large difference in perceived utility of the videos between attending physicians and trainees, and so we proceeded with subgroup analysis of trainees and staff. Curriculum, Tool, or Material: Orthopedic procedural videos as described above. Conclusion: Using a 5-point Likert scale, we found that overall trainees (4.3, SD 0.76 CI 0.41) found the videos more useful and interesting than did attending physicians (3.4, SD 0.68 CI 0.37), with respondents commenting that they were very clear and easy to follow for junior trainees. Most respondents also indicated that they would access future videos we made (4.2 SD 0.74 CI 0.39 for trainees, 3.2 SD 0.65 SI 0.34) for attendings). Future directions include making the videos more concise and adding more visual summaries to improve viewership, and targeting videos for specific learner level. We are hoping to implement these videos into future curriculum development for our learners and, if successful, other Emergency Medicine residency programs across Canada.