Outcomes of a Multimedia Educational Workshop in an Internal Medicine Residency

Background: Effective communication is crucial for medical residents, particularly during morning reports where they present complex medical information. Despite the widespread use of multimedia tools like PowerPoint, formal training on their optimal use is often lacking in residency curricula. Aim: This study aimed to assess the impact of a multimedia educational intervention on resident slide development and perceptions of multimedia use in morning report presentations. Setting: The study was conducted at a university-affiliated medical center. Participants: 27 Internal Medicine residents (34% of the total cohort) participated in the study. Program Description: The intervention consisted of a one-hour workshop covering key theories in audiovisual learning, including dual-channel theory, signaling principle, and the concepts of redundancy and extraneous material. Program Evaluation : 81% of residents reported no prior formal multimedia training. Significant improvements were observed in resident confidence (3.5 to 4.2, p<.001) and perceived importance (3.9 to 4.5, p=0.003) of multimedia use after the workshop. A significant decrease in word count per slide was observed in morning reports (p=0.002), while knowledge of specific multimedia terms showed non-significant improvement. Discussion: This study suggests that even brief multimedia training can positively influence resident presentation practices. Integrating such training into residency curricula could enhance communication skills and the effectiveness of medical education.