Traditional Lecture Versus Procedural Video Randomized Trial: Comparative Analysis of Instructional Methods for Teaching Baclofen Pump Management

Abstract

Objective: This study compared the effectiveness of traditional lectures and microvideos in teaching baclofen pump programming and refilling to physicians who have completed less than 10 refills for the previous 2 yrs.

Design: A mixed-method approach was used with 60 participating physicians specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation or pain management. Preintervention and postintervention assessments were conducted using a rubric, and the participants' perceptions and preferences were gathered through focus group sessions.

Results: Two thirds of the participants specialized in physical medicine and rehabilitation. No significant differences in the preintervention, postintervention, or knowledge retention scores were found between the traditional lecture and microvideo groups. Both methods demonstrated comparable effectiveness in improving the baclofen pump refilling and programming skills. Qualitatively, participants perceived both approaches as equally helpful, but those in the microvideo group raised concerns because of instructors' unavailability and online platform navigation. Nevertheless, they preferred the convenience, accessibility, and time efficiency of the microvideos.

Conclusions: The study concluded that microvideos are an effective alternative to traditional lectures for acquiring knowledge on baclofen pump programming and refilling. Further research should consider learners' characteristics and investigate the benefits of blended learning in medical education.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05495282.