Karen E. Schifferdecker

Using mixed methods research in medical education: basic guidelines for researchers

Context  Mixed methods research involves the collection, analysis and integration of both qualitative and quantitative data in a single study. The benefits of a mixed methods approach are particularly evident when studying new questions or complex initiatives and interactions, which is often the case in medical education research. Basic guidelines for when to use mixed methods research and how to design a mixed methods study in medical education research are not readily available.

Computer use among community-based primary care physician preceptors.

Purpose. Use of the Internet to access biomedical information in patient care has important implications in medical education. Little is known about how community-based clinical teachers use computers in their offices and what factors, such as age, may influence use. Method. A total of 178 active community-based primary care preceptors were mailed a 15-item questionnaire about their computer equipment; Internet use; and specific applications in patient care, patients’ education, medical students’ or residents’ education, or accessing other clinical and/or research information. Data analysis used descriptive statistics, chi-square for comparisons of categorical data and analysis of variance (ANOVA) mixed model for comparisons of continuous variables. All tests were two-tailed with alpha set at .05 to determine statistical significance. Results. In all, 129 preceptors responded (73%). Office computer availability was high (92%). The Internet as a clinical information resource was used most frequently (98%) and MD Consult and Medline-EBM were used less frequently (20% and 21%, respectively). No statistical differences were found in routine use by age of preceptor; frequency of use did differ. Preceptors 60 years or older were four times more likely to use the Internet to assist in students’ and residents’ education (p = .02) and at least twice as likely to use full text Medline articles for patient care decisions (p = .05) than their younger colleagues. Decreased computer use was related to lack of time (45%) or other logistical reasons (40%), such as the computers distance from the patient care areas or slow connections. Conclusions. Rates of computer access and Internet connectivity were high among community-based preceptors of all ages. Uses of specific online clinical and/or educational resources varied by preceptors’ age with more rather than less use among older preceptors, an unexpected finding.

Adoption of computer-assisted learning in medical education: the educators' perspective

Medical Education 2012: 46: 1063–1073

A collaborative model for supporting community-based interdisciplinary education.

Development and support of community-based, interdisciplinary ambulatory medical education has achieved high priority due to on-site capacity and the unique educational experiences community sites contribute to the educational program. The authors describe the collaborative model their school developed and implemented in 2000 to integrate institution- and community-based interdisciplinary education through a centralized office, the strengths and challenges faced in applying it, the educational outcomes that are being tracked to evaluate its effectiveness, and estimates of funds needed to ensure its success. Core funding of

Action-Learning Collaboratives as a Platform for Community-Based Participatory Research to Advance Obesity Prevention

180,000 is available annually for a centralized office, the keystone of the model described here. With this funding, the office has (1) addressed recruitment, retention, and quality of educators for UME; (2) promoted innovation in education, evaluation, and research; (3) supported development of a comprehensive curriculum for medical school education; and (4) monitored the effectiveness of community-based education programs by tracking product yield and cost estimates needed to generate these programs. The models Teaching and Learning Database contains information about more than 1,500 educational placements at 165 ambulatory teaching sites (80% in northern New England) involving 320 active preceptors. The centralized office facilitated 36 site visits, 22% of which were interdisciplinary, involving 122 preceptors. A total of 98 follow-up requests by community-based preceptors were fulfilled in 2000. The current submission-to-funding ratio for educational grants is 56%. Costs per educational activity have ranged from

A Review of Tools to Assist Hospitals in Meeting Community Health Assessment and Implementation Strategy Requirements.

811.50 to

Do Lessons Learned in a Training Intervention on Web-Based Health Care Resources Diffuse to Nonexposed Members in the Primary Care Setting? A Comparative Study

1,938, with costs per preceptor ranging from

A mixed-methods approach to assessing barriers to physical activity among women with class I, class II, and class III obesity

101.40 to

Translation of an Action Learning Collaborative Model Into a Community-Based Intervention to Promote Physical Activity and Healthy Eating.

217.82. Cost per product (grants, manuscripts, presentations) in research and academic scholarship activities was

A method to create a standardized generic and condition-specific patient-reported outcome measure for patient care and healthcare improvement

2,492. The model allows the medical school to balance institutional and departmental support for its educational programs, and to better position itself for the ongoing changes in the health care system.