Morning Report Goes Virtual: Learner Experiences in a Virtual, Case-Based Diagnostic Reasoning Conference

Abstract

Background: Participation in case-based diagnostic reasoning (DR) conferences has previously been limited to those who can attend in-person. Technological advances have enabled these conferences to migrate to virtual platforms, creating an opportunity to improve access and learner participation. We describe the design and evaluation of virtual morning report (VMR), a novel case-based DR conference.Methods: VMR took place on a videoconferencing platform. Participants included health professions students, post-graduate trainees, and practitioners. In designing VMR, we adapted concepts from experience-based learning theory to design opportunities for learner participation. Teaching strategies were informed by information-processing and situativity theories. We evaluated learner experiences in VMR using a survey with open and closed-ended questions. Survey items focused on accessing case-based teaching conferences outside of VMR, participant perceptions of the educational value of VMR, and VMR’s impact on participants’ confidence in performing DR. We used qualitative content analysis to manually code open-ended responses and identify themes. Results: 203 participants (30.2%) completed the survey. 141 respondents (69.5%) did not otherwise have access to a DR conference. The majority of participants reported increased confidence performing DR. Respondents highlighted that VMR supplemented their education, created a supportive learning environment, and offered a sense of community.Conclusions: VMR can expand access to DR education, create new opportunities for learner participation, and improve learner confidence in performing DR.

A scoping review of virtual morning report and outcomes in Canada and the United States

“…60 Some also reported heightened confidence in clinical scenarios with diagnosis and clinical reasoning, but these studies did not compare to traditional morning report. 21,23,26,44 Learners also reported feeling better organized and comfortable in conducting online oral presentations themselves after exposure to VMR discussions. 50…”

“…The number of studies on virtual morning report and case sharing per year increased significantly since 2020 after the global COVID-19 pandemic. One study (2.5%) was published in 2022, 20 7 studies (17.5%) were published in 2021, 2,22,23,24,25,26,27 and 8 studies (20.0%) were published in 2020. 28,29,30,3,31,32,33,21 The studies and their corresponding citations are available in Table 1.…”

“…The scoping review focused on programs within North America. The majority of included studies (34 studies) were conducted in the United States of America (85.0%) 2,28,34,29,22,30,35,36,37,38,39,40,40,41,42,43,23,31,44,45,24,46, 47,33,25,26,20,21,48,49,50,51,52,53 and 6 studies 54,55,56,57,58,32 were conducted in Canada (15.0%). Two studies had international impact with learners globally using the morning report blog and The Clinical Problem Solvers podcast (Table 1).…”

“…Twenty-five studies (62.5%) were conducted among general internal medicine programs, 2,22,25,26,50,29,30,31,33,44,42,55,40, 41,54,53,39,37,36,58,35,49,52 4 studies (10.0%) included family medicine learners, 21,40,39,37,59 4 studies (10.0%) were conducted in neurology programs, 23,24,57,32 1 study in nephrology (2.5%), 42 1 study (2.5%) in rheumatology, 56 2 studies (5.0%) in cardiology, 28,45 and 2 studies (5.0%) in other programs (Table 1). 34,48…”

“…We identified themes from analysis of 41 qualitative free-text excerpts from 21 studies that included a qualitative component (Table 2). 2,22,25,26,27,29,30,34,35,38,39,42,46,47,49,50,53,56,57,60,62…”