Improving Examination Skills in Neuromuscular Disorders Through an Educational Video

Background

The acquisition of practical skills is a key objective of medical education. Improving knowledge and skills is essential for early diagnosis of patients suffering from neuromuscular (NM) diseases.

Approach

Multimedia tools have proved to be useful and effective for learning clinical skills. We developed a video to learn the NM examination, the main pathological signs and their semiological value.

We developed a video to learn the NM examination, the main pathological signs and their semiological value.

Evaluation

Twenty-seven medical students (group A) watched the NM video. A control group (B, n = 15) watched a control video on OMS examination. Both groups filled out NM and control questionnaires before and after watching the video. Group A significantly improved their score on the NM questionnaire (6.36 ± 1.62 vs. 9.12 ± 0.69, p < 0.001) but not on the control questionnaire. Group B significantly improved the score on the control questionnaire (6.03 ± 1.39 vs. 8.22 ± 1.12, p < 0.0001) but not on the NM questionnaire. Students self-scored their NM knowledge at 5/10 and 7.4/10 on a visual analogue scale (VAS) before and after watching the NM video. The overall usefulness of the NM video was scored 8.7/10. Students considered it useful for learning the NM examination, illustrating rare semiological signs, preparing for practical evaluations and reinforcing self-confidence.

Implications

Didactic videos can be used to complement classical teaching to improve the learning of practical skills and to strengthen students' self-confidence. They can also be useful for other medical disciplines and health professionals, improving the recognition and management of these rare diseases.