Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Medical Education
Date Submitted: Feb 23, 2024
Date Accepted: Nov 23, 2024
Collaborative development of feedback concept maps for virtual patient-based clinical reasoning education: a mixed-methods study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Concept maps are a suitable method for teaching clinical reasoning (CR). For example, in a concept map, findings, tests, differential diagnoses, and treatment options can be documented and connected to each other. When combined with virtual patients, automated feedback can be provided to the students’ concept maps. However, as CR is a non-linear process, feedback concept maps that are created together by several individuals might address this issue and cover perspectives from different health professions.
Objective:
In this study, we aimed to develop a collaborative process for creating feedback concept maps in virtual patient-based CR education.
Methods:
Health professionals of different specialties, nationalities, and levels of experience in education individually created concept maps and afterwards reached a consensus on them in structured workshops. Then, medical students discussed the health professionals' concept maps in focus groups. We performed a qualitative content analysis of the transcribed audio records and field notes, and a descriptive comparison of the produced concept maps.
Results:
14 health professionals reached a consensus on four concept maps. In doing so, they discussed content and presentation of the concept maps, as well as rationales, and next steps. Overall, the structure of the workshops was well-received. The comparison of the produced concept maps showed that they varied widely in their scope and content. Consensus maps tended to be richer in content than individual ones. Nine medical students participated in two focus groups. Their opinions on the concept maps’ features varied widely, balancing between the wish for in-depth explanation and the flexibility of CR.
Conclusions:
Consensus workshops are a constructive method to create feedback concept maps that include different perspectives of health professionals with content that is useful to and accepted by students. Further research is needed to determine which features of feedback concept maps are most likely to improve learner outcomes and how to facilitate their construction in collaborative consensus workshops.
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