Role of WhatsApp-based discussions in improving residents' knowledge of post-operative pain management: a pilot study

Abstract

BackgroundTo provide a platform for the dissemination of basic knowledge of pain management, a WhatsApp group was created by residents and consultants. Common clinical scenarios, resident queries, and important instructions to be followed by residents with respect to running the Acute Pain Service were discussed in the group. This study evaluates the benefits of this interaction.MethodsThis study was approved by the hospital ethics board and was registered with the Clinical Trial Registry of India. Second- and third-year anesthesia residents were included in a WhatsApp group, along with consultants (board certified anesthesiologists with a special interest in pain). Pain knowledge assessment was performed pre- and post-discussion using a standard 22-point questionnaire. A feedback form, which included self-rated confidence scores (1–10, 10-most confident) and opinions about the 3-month WhatsApp discussion, was collected. Improvements in the documentation in clinical sheets post-discussion were also analyzed.ResultsA total of 38 residents were included in the WhatsApp group. An improvement in the percentage of correct answers from 69.1% (pre-discussion) to 73.6% (post-discussion) was observed (P = 0.031). Improvements in the self-rated residents' confidence levels were also noted (P < 0.05). A total of 37 residents felt that the WhatsApp-based discussion was useful. Documentation of the details of epidural blockade in clinical sheets improved from 30% to 100%.ConclusionsThe WhatsApp discussion improved residents' knowledge and confidence levels, and also resulted in improved documentation of essential details in the clinical notes. This form of education is promising and should be explored in future studies.

WhatsApp-based teaching module for acute pain management: a prospective educational project

“…4 Based on our and other's experience, we adopted WhatsApp as a teaching medium. 1,4,5 There are a number of limitations to our study. A formal sample size calculation was not done, as we were limited by the number of students enrolling into the program each year.…”

“…To the Editor, Our initial experience with impromptu ''faculty to trainee'' discussion of acute pain management using WhatsApp (WhatsApp Inc, Menlo Park, CA, USA) improved students' knowledge and documentation of clinical notes. 1 The purpose of this pre-and postintervention study was to evaluate the benefit of an addon virtual classroom teaching using a WhatsApp-based discussion. 2 Following approval of Tata Memorial Centre's Institutional Ethics Committee (November 27, 2015), the trial was registered with Clinical Trials Registry India (CTRI/2016/05/006902).…”

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“…A publication from Korea mentioned how WhatsApp-based discussions were useful in improving residents' knowledge of postoperative pain management. 3 Another publication highlights how the appropriate use of mobile devices in radiology has contributed to patient care. 4 There are several publications reporting the beneficial role of WhatsApp for undergraduate teaching as well.…”

“…4 There are several publications reporting the beneficial role of WhatsApp for undergraduate teaching as well. 3,5 Limiting the number of group members and sharing only anonymized data are required to maintain patient confidentiality. WhatsApp does not store the messages on its servers once the messages are delivered.…”

WhatsApp: Is it a solution to daily human resources management in institutional practice?

“…[ 1 ] Instant messaging system like WhatsApp has helped in linking groups of people in an easy and interactive way. [ 2 ] Based on our previous experience, we found WhatsApp an effective medium for resident communication[ 3 ] and decided to incorporate it for resident's daily postings. Delayed start has been implicated as a significant component of unutilised operative room (OR) time in many studies,[ 4 ] with late arrival being implicated as a common reason for anaesthetic delay.…”