Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: January | Volume: 6 | Issue: 1 | Pages: 184-190
Conventional Teaching Versus Telemedicine Assisted Teaching among Post Graduate Medical Students of Physiology Department in A Rural Medical College of West Bengal: A Pilot Study
Dr. Arunima Chaudhuri1, Dr. Debasis Adhya2
1Associate Professor Department of Physiology, Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital (Affiliated to West Bengal University of Health Sciences), Rampurhat, West Bengal, India.
2Professor and Head, Department of Physiology, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital (Affiliated to West Bengal University of Health Sciences), Burdwan, West Bengal, India.
Corresponding Author: Dr. Arunima Chaudhuri
ABSTRACT
Background: Tele-education is an appropriate teaching methodology. In comparison to face-to-face teaching, students are similarly satisfied with the use of a high definition room-based videoconference. Aims: To study the effects of telemedicine assisted teaching methods among post graduate residents in a rural medical college of West Bengal.
Materials and methods: This pilot project was conducted in a Medical Colleges of West Bengal (Burdwan Medical College) with the assistance of Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute (SGPGI), Lucknow in a time span of one year after taking Institutional ethical clearance and informed consent from the appropriate authorities and the subjects.
All the fifteen Postgraduate students of Physiology department were first exposed to six lecture classes in our department and topics included research methodology and statistical methods. They were provided with a questionnaire after the six classes which consisted of MCQ and short answer type of structured questions and the total marks allotted was 50 and this examination was termed as EXAMINATION II. The questions were provided to them in softcopy and they gave answers online. Before commencement of the study they were assessed in a similar manner to study their basic levels of knowledge and this examination was termed as EXAMINATION I
The same group of student attended 6 telemedicine classes on the same topic conducted by SGPGI Lucknow and similar assessment was done after the classes and this examination was termed as Examination III. In the telemedicine classes they learned how to use SPSS version 16; how to perform statistical tests using excel sheet and Epi InfoTM CDC software. This was a hands on training given in the telemedicine class by senior faculty members of SGPGI Lucknow and we had failed to provide this facility to the students during teaching in our department.
Statistical analysis: Data were analyzed using software SPSS version16; probability values (P Value) <0.05 were considered as statistically significant and P Values <0.01 were considered as statistically highly significant.
Results: Learner satisfaction was high in telemedicine assisted learning with an overall score of 4.84 on a 5-point Likert scale. The students performed significantly better in examination II as compared to examination I and II. Marks obtained in EXAMINATION I: 20.3±5.36 vs. EXAMINATION II: 36.65±5.85 vs. EXAMINATION III: 41.1±2.75 and P VALUE <0.01**. All the students were able to correctly perform statistical analysis of their dissertation on their own (without the help of community medicine department) and they were able to publish their research works in indexed journals. Our departmental students of the previous years were lacking this ability.
Conclusions: Telemedicine assisted teaching significantly improved knowledge in fields of research work among postgraduate residents of the department of Physiology and telemedicine needs be a part of medical education in future.
Key words: Telemedicine assisted learning, research, medical education.
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