A Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Paper Versus Digital Reading on Reading Comprehension in Health Professional Education

Abstract

Objective. Despite the rise of digital education in health professional education (HPE), little is known about the comparative effectiveness of paper-based reading and its digital alternative on reading comprehension in HPE. We aimed to identify, appraise, and synthesize the evidence regarding the effect of reading media on reading comprehension in the context of HPE. Findings. From a pool of 2,208 references, we included 10 controlled studies enrolling 817 participants. Metaanalyses revealed a non-statistically significant advantage of paper over digital reading (standardized mean difference [SMD] −0.08; 95% confidence interval −0.28 to 0.12). Subgroup analyses revealed that students reading HPE-related texts, rather than non-HPE-related texts, had better reading comprehension when reading on paper (SMD = −0.36; 95% confidence interval −0.69 to −0.03). Heterogeneity was low in all analyses. The quality of evidence was low due to risks of bias across studies. Summary. Current evidence suggests little to no difference between paper and digital texts for reading comprehension in HPE. However, we observed effects favoring paper-based reading when considering texts relevant to students' professional discipline. Rigorous studies are needed to confirm this finding and to evaluate new means of boosting reading comprehension in HPE.

The Medical Students’ Dilemma: E-Textbook or Printed Textbook? A Cross Sectional Study from Medical Colleges in Rawalpindi Pakistan

“…2 By saving time, providing value as a collective online reference, and facilitating dynamic and economical collection management, e-books can successfully complement an academic goal. 3 Digital texts are being used more and more in teaching and learning-It offers flexibility, is self-paced, and has media reach because it may be utilised whenever and whenever it is necessary. 4 One of the key drawbacks is that it cannot replace hands-on learning, which is an essential component of the medical curriculum and is therefore simple to comprehend.…”