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Text vs Email for a Question of the Day: Which do Today’s Medical Students Prefer?

Purpose: Compare completion rates and satisfaction of question of the day(QOD) received via text vs email.

Background: Fast, hands on learning e-tools are a popular effective technique with current generation of medical learners.

Methods: Twenty-eight questions of the day(QOD) developed focusing on commonly missed NBME exam concepts. A prospective cohort study of ob/gyn clerkship students conducted. Students self-selected to receive QOD by text or email from 1/19-7/19. Students received QOD nightly on weekdays via text or email, completion was optional. 
Primary outcome was overall response rate(RR). Secondary outcomes include RR/question and average weekly RR. Qualitative feedback regarding satisfaction, time spent, and utility also obtained.

Results: Eighty-one medical students participated, 40 selecting text and 41 email. In sum, 863 texts and 1269 emails sent during study period. Overall text RR was significantly lower than email(55.2%vs78.6%,p< 0.001). For no question was text RR greater than email RR. Average RR did not vary by week(wk1: text 55% vs 83% email, wk6: text 64% vs email 77%).
43/81(53%) students gave qualitative feedback, 28/41 from email cohort, and 15/40 text. 86% found the QOD helpful/very helpful(no difference by mode of receipt). However, email recipients more likely to find it very helpful(54%vs13%,p=0.02). 77% found the level of difficulty to be “just right”,(no difference by mode of receipt). The QOD took all students less than 5 minutes. Nearly all(93%) students found the QOD worthwhile and 98% would recommend to future students.

Discussions: Surprisingly, QOD completion rates were higher with email than text, though satisfaction and perceived utility high in both groups.

Topics: CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting, 2020, Student, Faculty, Clerkship Director, Medical Knowledge, Practice-Based Learning & Improvement, UME, Assessment, Independent Study, General Ob-Gyn,

General Information


Intended
Audience
Student,Faculty,Clerkship Director,
Competencies
Addressed
Medical Knowledge,Practice-Based Learning & Improvement,
Educational
Continuum
UME,
Educational
Focus
Assessment,Independent Study,
Clinical Focus
General Ob-Gyn,

Author Information

Zachary Smothers, Medical Student; Duke University; Jordan Toole; Melody Baldwin, MD, MPH; Sarah Dotters-Katz, MD, MHPE

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