Purpose: Given the educational restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic and expansion of telehealth, this study aims to investigate the educational benefits of MS3 participating in a graded, in-person GYN H&P (IN-P) versus a virtual GYN H&P (VIRT).
Background: During the pandemic, medical students and providers were forced to switch from IN-P encounters to added virtual platforms. With the increased telemedicine visits, educational forums were altered and the benefit of these experiences is unknown. Questions remain whether there is an added benefit to students who were offered a recorded, standardized encounter opposed to the traditional IN-P H&P.
Methods: Students that completed their GYN rotation prior to the pandemic finished their H&P in the clinic with an in-person patient while an attending observed; during the pandemic, students completed their H&P virtually, without an attending and had access to a recording of their encounter. Survey was sent to the class of 2022 inquiring about educational benefits of their respective H&Ps.
Results: No statistical differences were found between the 2 groups based on interruptions, unfavorable encounter behaviors, and perceived benefit of Zoom recording. However, 79% of all participants felt that a virtual encounter should be incorporated into future curriculum.
Discussions: Our findings suggest that there is no significant loss of education with a VIRT versus IN H&P. Students perceived virtual encounters as beneficial and poses another option for the ability to gain those patient H&P encounters during COVID-19. It further represents a unique opportunity to educate our student learner on telemedicine.
Topics: CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting, 2022, Student, Medical Knowledge, GME, Virtual Patient, Simulation, Standardized Patient, General Ob-Gyn,
Alexa R. Lenz, BS, West Virginia School of Medicine; Mahreen Hashmi
