PMID- 22664558
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20120911
LR  - 20220318
IS  - 1528-1140 (Electronic)
IS  - 0003-4932 (Linking)
VI  - 256
IP  - 1
DP  - 2012 Jul
TI  - An online spaced-education game for global continuing medical education: a 
      randomized trial.
PG  - 33-8
LID - 10.1097/SLA.0b013e31825b3912 [doi]
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of a "spaced-education" game as a method of 
      continuing medical education (CME) among physicians across the globe. BACKGROUND: 
      The efficacy of educational games for the CME has yet to be established. We 
      created a novel online educational game by incorporating game mechanics into 
      "spaced education" (SE), an evidence-based method of online CME. METHODS: This 
      34-week randomized trial enrolled practicing urologists across the globe. The SE 
      game consisted of 40 validated multiple-choice questions and explanations on 
      urology clinical guidelines. Enrollees were randomized to 2 cohorts: cohort A 
      physicians were sent 2 questions via an automated e-mail system every 2 days, and 
      cohort B physicians were sent 4 questions every 4 days. Adaptive game mechanics 
      re-sent the questions in 12 or 24 days if answered incorrectly and correctly, 
      respectively. Questions expired if not answered on time (appointment dynamic). 
      Physicians retired questions by answering each correctly twice-in-a-row 
      (progression dynamic). Competition was fostered by posting relative performance 
      among physicians. Main outcome measures were baseline scores (percentage of 
      questions answered correctly upon initial presentation) and completion scores 
      (percentage of questions retired). RESULTS: A total of 1470 physicians from 63 
      countries enrolled. Median baseline score was 48% (interquartile range [IQR] 17) 
      and, in multivariate analyses, was found to vary significantly by region (Cohen 
      dmax = 0.31, P = 0.001) and age (dmax = 0.41, P < 0.001). Median completion score 
      was 98% (IQR 25) and varied significantly by age (dmax = 0.21, P < 0.001) and 
      American Board of Urology certification (d = 0.10, P = 0.033) but not by region 
      (multivariate analyses). Question clustering reduced physicians' performance (d = 
      0.43, P < 0.001). Seventy-six percent of enrollees (1111/1470) requested to 
      participate in future SE games. CONCLUSIONS: An online SE game can substantially 
      improve guidelines knowledge and is a well-accepted method of global CME 
      delivery.
FAU - Kerfoot, B Price
AU  - Kerfoot BP
AD  - Surgical Service (Urology Section), Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, MA 
      02130, USA. price.kerfoot@gmail.com
FAU - Baker, Harley
AU  - Baker H
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Randomized Controlled Trial
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PL  - United States
TA  - Ann Surg
JT  - Annals of surgery
JID - 0372354
SB  - IM
EIN - Ann Surg. 2012 Oct;256(4):669
MH  - Adult
MH  - Education, Medical, Continuing/*methods
MH  - Educational Measurement/methods
MH  - Electronic Mail
MH  - Humans
MH  - Middle Aged
MH  - Multivariate Analysis
MH  - Online Systems
MH  - Retention, Psychology
MH  - Teaching/*methods
MH  - Urology/*education
EDAT- 2012/06/06 06:00
MHDA- 2012/09/12 06:00
CRDT- 2012/06/06 06:00
PHST- 2012/06/06 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2012/06/06 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2012/09/12 06:00 [medline]
AID - 10.1097/SLA.0b013e31825b3912 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Ann Surg. 2012 Jul;256(1):33-8. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0b013e31825b3912.