The Effects of Podcasts on Medical Education: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Objective Podcasts have been growing in popularity among medical learners, mostly due to their accessibility and convenience. There is a gap in the literature, however, on the impact of podcasts on objective changes in knowledge, behaviours, skills, attitudes, and patient outcomes. This study reviewed existing literature on the effectiveness of podcasts in changing knowledge and practice outcomes for medical students and residents. Methods The authors searched Embase, ERIC, MEDLINE, and Scopus for studies that examined the effects of audio-only podcasts on medical learners. Subsequently, two independent authors screened all abstracts, then full-texts for inclusion. Data on learning and behavioral outcomes were extracted from all included studies. Finally, the authors summarized findings using qualitative analysis. Results The authors found 6372 studies from our initial search, of which 2501 remained after removing duplicates. 181 articles remained after abstract screening and only 2 remained after full-text screening. Both studies found a statistically significant effect of podcast use on immediate knowledge retention. Conclusions The reviewed studies showed that podcasts are effective in generating immediate knowledge retention. Beyond that, there remains little evidence on their effectiveness in the real world. In the face of their increased usage, more research is required to better characterize the impact of podcasts on medical learners.