MedEdPORTAL (Jul 2015)
Immune-Mediated Anemias: Clinical Immunology Learning Module
Abstract
Abstract Introduction Cognitive studies have demonstrated that learning the cause-and-effect relationship between basic sciences and clinical features improves the learner's diagnostic ability. Further, students find basic science material more relevant when it is presented in a clinical context. Integration of basic medical sciences with clinical training remains a challenging task for medical schools, and several have been experimenting with various types of integration-oriented curricula and reported some promising outcomes. Here we present a clinical immunology/hematology learning module which graphically demonstrates the cause-and-effect relationship between pathologic immune responses and the symptoms of three different types of anemia: pernicious anemia, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, and immunohemolytic anemias. Methods The content of this resource is included in three files. One file contains an interactive version of the immunology/hematology module, while a second contains a static/printable version. A third module contains a 15-item test with explained answers that is intended for faculty use only and may serve as a pre− and posttest. The resource may be published as a sharable resource on an institution's learning management system, and is intended for learners with preexisting basic immunology knowledge. Results We evaluated the effectiveness of the module both by tracking module usage and student test performance. Sixty-nine students (66%) accessed the module 347 times (4.8 times per student on average) on our institution's learning management system. Seventeen students submitted results of both the pre− and posttest. Students performed significantly better on posttests compared to pretests (% of correct answers 76.6 post vs. 54.2 pre, p < .01). Discussion Here we effectively present a clinical immunology/hematology learning module which graphically demonstrates the cause-and-effect relationship between pathologic immune responses and the symptoms of three different types of anemia. We recommend using this module to prepare medical students for integrated sessions, during which students will be practicing the application of basic medical science knowledge to clinical problems.
Keywords
