Seeing primary care differently: comparing the educational value of different video formats for early, remote clinical experience
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Authors
Fisher, James
Issue Date
2025
Type
Article
Language
en
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Background
Evidence shows that early clinical experience (ECE) within general practice (GP) has multiple benefits for medical students. Yet barriers to implementation mean that efforts to expand ECE have stalled. Remote consultations, and video footage of consultations, provide a route to expand GP ECE.
Objectives
We aimed to explore the extent to which different video formats, when used as part of GP ECE, influenced students’ engagement with learning, their perceptions of the authenticity of the experience and their understanding of complexity in primary care.
Methods
Early-stage medical students at Newcastle University had 4 ‘virtual’ GP visits that drew on video footage from three different formats; pre-recorded from a national database, locally recorded, and recorded ‘live’ on the day. A mixed methods approach was employed. Post-session questionnaires explored opinions on authenticity, learning opportunities and format preference. Semi-structured focus groups enabled deeper exploration of students’ perspectives. Questionnaire data was analysed using descriptive statistics. Focus group data was analysed using inductive thematic analysis.
Results
All formats were recognised by students as being authentic, enjoyable and relevant. However, perceptions of authenticity, and depth of student engagement, was greater when locally recorded footage was employed, most of all with live footage. Near-live footage highlighted the complexity of GPs’ work, but requires deliberate, structured debrief to enable students to make sense of the consultations that they had observed.
Conclusions
Comparison of the educational value of different video formats used for GP ECE showed that virtual patient contact using locally recorded footage is most valued by students.
KEYWORDS:
Early clinical experienceremote consultingprimary caregeneral practicemedical studentstudent engagement
Description
Citation
Mackie, E. et al. (2025) ‘Seeing primary care differently: comparing the educational value of different video formats for early, remote clinical experience’, Education for Primary Care, pp. 1–8. doi: 10.1080/14739879.2025.2580421.
Publisher
License
Journal
Education for Primary Care
Volume
Issue
PubMed ID
ISSN
1475-990X