A Scoping Review of Medical Education Research in Neurosurgery

Assessing the Landscape in Medical Education Literature in Medical Oncology: A Scoping Review

PURPOSE

Medical oncology and medical education (ME) have both expanded exponentially over the past 50 years; thus, it is important to understand the current status of postgraduate medical oncology education and develop ways to advance this field. This study undertakes a scoping review of ME literature in medical oncology to inform future scholarship in this area.

METHODS

MEDLINE, Embase, ERIC, and Web of Science were searched to find peer-reviewed English language articles on postgraduate ME in medical oncology published from 2009 to 2020. Established scoping review methodologies were used in study design; articles were classified by specialty, learner training level, region of authorship, institution type, year of publication, journal type, study methodology, and research topic. Curriculum intervention, scholarship, and domain(s) of physician competency were also assessed. The results were interpreted using descriptive statistics and collated using predetermined conceptual frameworks.

RESULTS

A total of 2,959 references were initially found across four databases. After title and abstract screening, 305 articles remained; after full-text review, 144 articles were included in final analysis. Postgraduate medical oncology education research is increasing, with the majority of articles published in North America. Quantitative studies were most common, primarily survey approaches. For physician competencies, professionalism and medical expertise comprised the large majority of article focuses, whereas very few articles addressed leadership or health advocacy. Curriculum development, professional development, and communication skills were dominant research themes while no articles discussed teacher training.

CONCLUSION

Although areas such as professionalism and communication skills are well-studied, medical oncology ME research is lacking in leadership, health advocacy, and teacher training. This study provides valuable guidance for future ME research in medical oncology and establishes a benchmark to examine changes in educational scholarship over time.

Global Research Trends of Neurosurgery: A Comprehensive Bibliometric and Visualized Analysis of Systematic Reviews

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine the bibliometric characteristics of scientific articles on systematic reviews of neurosurgery worldwide.

METHODS

Bibliographic searches were performed in journals indexed by the Web of Science database until 2022, with no language restrictions. A total of 771 articles were ultimately included on the basis of predefined inclusion criteria, which were manually reviewed. The bibliometric analysis involved the use of quantitative bibliometric indicators and network analysis, which were performed using the bibliometrix package in R and VOSviewer, respectively.

RESULTS

The first publication was in 2002, and the number of publications increased over time, with the largest number of publications in 2021 (156 articles). The average number of citations per document was 17.36, and the annual growth rate was 6.82%. Nathan A. Shlobin was the author with the most published articles (19 articles). The most cited study was published by Jobst BC (2015). WORLD NEUROSURGERY was the journal with the most publications (51 articles). The country of corresponding authors with the most publications and the greatest number of total citations was the United States. The affiliations with the most articles were University of Toronto (67 articles) and Harvard Medical School (54 articles).

CONCLUSIONS

The increasing trend during the past 20 years, and especially in the past 2 years, highlights the advancements in various subspecialities in the field. Our analysis revealed that North American and Western European countries are at the forefront of the field. There is a poor output of publications, authors, and affiliations in Latin-American and African countries.

Scoping Review: Innovations in Clinical Neurology Education

Advances in adult learning theory and instructional technologies provide opportunities to improve neurology knowledge acquisition. This scoping review aimed to survey the emerging landscape of educational innovation in clinical neurology. With the assistance of a research librarian, we conducted a literature search on November 4, 2021, using the following databases: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Education Resources Information Center, and PsycINFO. We included studies of innovative teaching methods for medical students through attending physician-level learners and excluded interventions for undergraduate students and established methods of teaching, as well as those published before 2010. Two authors independently reviewed all abstracts and full-text articles to determine inclusion. In the case of disagreement, a third author acted as arbiter. Study evaluation consisted of grading level of outcomes using the Kirkpatrick model, assessing for the presence of key components of education innovation literature, and applying an author-driven global innovation rating. Among 3,830 identified publications, 350 (175 full texts and 175 abstracts) studies were selected for analysis. Only 13 studies were included from 2010 to 2011, with 98 from 2020 to 2021. The most common innovations were simulation (142), eLearning, including web-based software and video-based learning (78), 3-dimensional modeling/printing (34), virtual/augmented reality (26) podcasts/smartphone applications/social media (24), team-based learning (17), flipped classroom (17), problem-based learning (10), and gamification (9). Ninety-eight (28.0%) articles included a study design with a comparison group, but only 23 of those randomized learners to an intervention. Most studies relied on Kirkpatrick Level 1 and 2 outcomes-the perceptions of training by learners and acquisition of knowledge. The sustainability of the innovation, transferability of the innovation to a new context, and the explanation of the novel nature of the innovations were some of the least represented features. We rated most innovations as only slightly innovative. There has been an explosion of reports on educational methods in clinical neurology over the last decade, especially in simulation and eLearning. Unfortunately, most reports lack adequate assessment of the validity and effect of the respective innovation's merits, as well as details regarding sustainability and transferability to new contexts.