ERIC Number: EJ1112538
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1935-9772
EISSN: N/A
Practicing Handoffs Early: Applying a Clinical Framework in the Anatomy Laboratory
Lazarus, Michelle D.; Dos Santos, Jason A.; Haidet, Paul M.; Whitcomb, Tiffany L.
Anatomical Sciences Education, v9 n5 p476-487 Sep-Oct 2016
The anatomy laboratory provides an ideal environment for the integration of clinical contexts as the willed-donor is often regarded as a student's "first patient." This study evaluated an innovative approach to peer teaching in the anatomy laboratory using a clinical handoff context. The authors introduced the "Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation" (SBAR) handoff framework within the anatomy laboratory. Study participants included 147 second-year medical students completing the head and neck portion of an anatomy course. The authors used mixed methods to evaluate the impact of the anatomic SBAR on the student anatomy laboratory experience. Qualitative analysis of student evaluations revealed three themes which emerged from students' summaries of their anatomic handoff experiences: "Learning-by-teaching"; "Acquiescing to doing more with less"; and "Distrust of the peer handoff process." All the themes demonstrated that the anatomic handoff encouraged students' focus on the knowledge preparation and reflection. Closed question analysis suggested that that students' perceptions of handoff usefulness were tied to deeper learning strategies. The handoff provided a mechanism for promoting students' focus on anatomical relationships and facilitated students' learning of transferable clinical skills. Together, these results suggest that the introduction of a handoff process in anatomy education provided both a mechanism for learning anatomy and a unique opportunity for early exposure to an essential clinical skill. This clinical and basic science integration may serve as a vertical integration thread which can be woven throughout undergraduate medical education. Future study will focus on exploring the long-term impacts and learning outcomes of this integration.
Descriptors: Anatomy, Clinical Experience, Laboratories, Peer Teaching, Medical Students, Mixed Methods Research, Student Evaluation, Active Learning, Transfer of Training, Skill Development, Medical Education
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A