Is it possible to teach Geriatric Medicine in a stimulating way? Measuring the effect of active learning activities in Brazilian medical students

Abstract

Objective To describe the experience of a Brazilian medical school in implementing different active methods to teach Geriatric Medicine, reporting the students’ opinions and satisfaction with the classes and comparing pre‐ and postcourse measurements of knowledge, attitudes and skills. Methods A total of 166 third‐year medical students received different active theoretical‐practical activities for teaching Geriatric Medicine and their knowledge, attitudes, clinical skills and satisfaction were investigated. Results All activities had good acceptance among students ranging from 8.54 in the activity “Walking aids” to 9.81 in the activity “Nursing Home visit” (ranging 0‐10). After the course, students had better attitudes towards older persons (r = 0.55‐0.81, P < 0.001), better knowledge (r = 0.84, P < 0.001), greater empathy (r = 0.51, P < 0.001) and better clinical skills (r = 0.86, P < 0.001). Finally, the course was evaluated positively by the students. Conclusion New active Geriatric Medicine learning activities resulted in improvement in medical students knowledge, attitudes and skills.

A scoping review of the changing landscape of geriatric medicine in undergraduate medical education: curricula, topics and teaching methods

“…Simulation has been used to teach various topics, including delirium [ 45 ], elder abuse [ 46 ], frailty, falls and osteoporosis [ 47 ]. It has also been used to practice various skills, including communication with adults with dementia [ 48 , 49 ], interprofessional team working [ 50 ], medication management [ 51 – 53 ], end-of-life care discussions [ 54 ], CGA [ 55 ], basic oral and dental care in older adults [ 56 ], and management of depression in older adults [ 57 ].…”

Problem Based Learning Applied to Practice in Medical Schools in Brazil: A Mini-Systematic Review

“…Similarly, Lucchetti et al(19), describe the experience of active methodology, including simulation, to teach geriatrics and observed improvement in medical student’s knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Geriatrics is a very challenge area to teach in comparison to other areas where the presence of technology and procedures turns them into more attractive areas for students.…”

An Experiential Aged Care Module for First-Year Undergraduate Medical Students

“…"It made me more empathetic towards older people and realise how much they have to go through on a daily basis." Active learning strategies have been shown to be effective in the delivery of geriatric teaching [20]. Methods, including team-based learning [21] and experiential learning [22], have been shown to improve student engagement when compared to traditional lecturebased teaching.…”