A randomized controlled trial comparison of PTEBL and traditional teaching methods in “Stop the Bleed” training

Abstract

Background The Stop the Bleed (STB) training program was launched by the White House to minimize hemorrhagic deaths. Few studies focused on the STB were reported outside the United States. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a problem-, team- and evidence-based learning (PTEBL) approach to teaching, compared to traditional teaching methods currently employed in STB courses in China. Methods This study was a parallel group, unmasked, randomised controlled trial. We included third-year medical students of a five-year training program from the Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University who voluntarily participated in the trial. One hundred fifty-three medical students were randomized (1:1) into the PTEBL group (n = 77) or traditional group (n = 76). Every group was led by a single instructor. The instructor in the PTEBL group has experienced in educational reform. However, the instructor in the traditional group follows a traditional teaching mode. The teaching courses for both student groups had the same duration of four hours. Questionnaires were conducted to assess teaching quality before and after the course. The trial was registered in the Central South University (No. 2021JY188). Results In the PTEBL group, students reported mastery in three fundamental STB skills—Direct Finger Compression (61/77, 79.2%), Packing (72/77, 93.8%), and Tourniquet Placement (71/77, 92.2%) respectively, while 76.3% (58/76), 89.5% (68/76), and 88.2% (67/76) of students in the traditional group (P > 0.05 for each pairwise comparison). 96.1% (74/77) of students in the PTEBL group felt prepared to help in an emergency, while 90.8% (69/76) of students in the traditional group (P > 0.05). 94.8% (73/77) of students reported improved teamwork skills after the PTEBL course, in contrast with 81.6% (62/76) of students in the traditional course (P = 0.011). Furthermore, a positive correlation was observed between improved clinical thinking skills and improved teamwork skills (R = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.74–0.88; P < 0.001). Conclusions Compared with the traditional teaching method, the PTEBL method was superior in teaching teamwork skills, and has equally effectively taught hemostasis techniques in the emergency setting. The PTEBL method can be introduced to the STB training in China.