However, communication systems within the majority of UK hospitals are outdated, using old technology such as pager systems. Effective communication is necessary to take advantage of learning opportunities that are often sporadic. The hospital environment provides unique opportunities and challenges in the provision of medical education. No study available to date has demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of the use of instant messaging applications for medical students in the secondary care environment. These include the usefulness of the application for integrating theory and clinical practice increasing the availability of resources for test preparation and providing a platform for clarification of uncertain aspects of the course. Using WhatsApp Messenger, an instant messaging application, in the primary health care education setting has demonstrated a number of benefits for undergraduate nurses. ![]() Recently, there has been increased research into mobile Learning (mLearning), and specifically the use of instant messaging services. The use of mobile applications in medical and dental education has been shown to increase student participation, enhance the feedback process and improve communication between student and tutor. It is therefore unsurprising that the vast majority of medical students own a smart phone and that instant messaging applications are becoming a more popular communication tool for students compared to emails. Smartphone ownership in the UK has increased dramatically with 76% of adults owning a smartphone, rising to 90% when considering the 16–24 year-old demographic. Smartphones are an important part of modern life enabling access to the internet through 4G, personalised directions via GPS, and even the ability to share pictures and videos on instant messaging applications. The results indicate the feasibility and acceptability of WhatsApp Messenger in supplementing PBL teaching for medical students, and provides a framework for studies to investigate use amongst larger cohorts of students. The findings of this study illustrate a method by which communication within PBL groups can be facilitated by the use of instant messaging. Thematic analysis on the content of interviews identified themes such as the ease of use of instant messaging, benefit of instant messaging to foster understanding and learning, and the ability to access recorded discussions. Thematic analysis on content of the instant messaging groups identified the following themes: organisational, educational and social. A total of 582 messages, 22 images and 19 webpage links were sent. ResultsĪll of the participants were active in their respective messaging groups (19 students and 6 tutors). ![]() A thematic analysis was performed on the content of the instant messaging groups and on the results of the structured interviews. ![]() Students’ opinions were evaluated through a structured interview process at the end of the study period. The frequency and type of communication were recorded. These were used to provide communication within Problem Based Learning (PBL) groups for a duration of 8 weeks. MethodsĪ total of 6 WhatsApp Messenger (WhatsApp Inc.) groups were created for medical students on clinical attachment. This study aims to demonstrate the feasibility and acceptability of instant messaging communication to supplement medical education for medical students whilst on clinical attachment. Instant messaging applications have the potential to improve and facilitate communication between hospital doctors and students, hence generating and improving learning opportunities.
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