Impact of Virtual Training on Medical Laboratory Science Content Recall and Clinical Psychomotor Performance

摘要

Virtual microscopy is an integral part of clinical laboratory medicine, but has not been fully evaluated for utility in Medical Laboratory Science education. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact virtual training has on psychomotor skills and retention of clinical knowledge through two cohorts of Medical Laboratory Science students at a Midwestern university. This quasi-experimental mixed-methods study determined the effect of the of virtual training in two disciplines: urinalysis and parasitology. Outcomes from observed student psychomotor performance in the field of urinalysis, content recall for the identification of clinical parasites, and a student survey assessed the utility of virtual microscopy as a training tool. Results from the control cohort without virtual training were compared to the experimental cohort that underwent treatment of virtual training following abbreviated in-person experiences. Psychomotor performance of microscopy and retention of knowledge were tracked by the researcher through the change in pre- and post-test scores.Statistics supported there was no significant difference in student performance when virtual training was utilized in lieu of full traditional in-person student labs. Students surveyed reported positive connotations for inclusion of virtual microscopy training in education programs, but felt it should be used as a supplement to traditional microscopy. Incorporation of virtual training in education programs could offer a mechanism for increased numbers of Medical Laboratory Science students and professionals entering the field.