Flipped-classroom training in advanced cardiopulmonary life support

Background: The effects of the flipped classroom have been demonstrated in various fields of education in recent years. Training in emergency medicine is also beginning to gradually implement the flipped classroom; however, its practical effect in emergency medicine contexts is not yet clear. Objective: The present study investigates the effects of the flipped classroom on advanced cardiopulmonary life support (ACLS) training implemented among practicum students in emergency medicine. Methods: The study randomly assigned into control and experimental conditions 108 fourth year students in the College of Medicine at Yonsei University, in Seoul, who were scheduled to take clinical practice in emergency medicine between March and July 2017. Students were taught about ACLS in either a traditional lecture-based classroom (control condition) or a flipped classroom (experimental condition); then, simulation training with ACLS scenarios was carried out. Finally, each student was rated on performance using a rating form developed in advance. Results: ACLS simulation scores of the students in the flipped classroom were 70.9±10.9, which was higher than those of the students in the traditional classroom (67.1±11.3); however, this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.339). In addition, the difference in student satisfaction as measured on a survey was statistically insignificant (p = 0.655). Conclusions: Competency assessment after simulation-based training in ACLS undergone by senior medical students randomly assigned to flipped and traditional classrooms showed no statistical difference in competency between the two groups.