Very simple PDF-based online aging game equivalent enhances medical students’ understanding for elderly patients

Anne-Kathrin Geier, Stefan Lippmann, Antje Rau, Anne Schrimpf, Markus Bleckwenn, Tobias Deutsch

Keywords: online learning, aging game, aging simulation, geriatric medicine, awareness

Background:
Aging simulation games are established tools in undergraduate medical education aiming to provide medical students with insights into elderly patient’s everyday life and raise awareness for age related difficulties.
At Leipzig University, a 90-minute aging simulation game is part of a compulsory geriatric medicine course in the fifth study year (of six). In the course of online teaching during the covid-19 pandemic, we replaced the classroom-based simulation by a very simple online version based on four PDF documents containing audio and video links, directives for “do it yourself” experiences, and impulses for reflexion.

Research questions:
Is a simple, self-directed online aging game able to provide students with relevant experiences and insights to enhance their understanding for elderly patients?

Method:
Anonymous post hoc survey among 277 5th-year medical students eligible for the course in 2020. Descriptive statistical analysis, and qualitative analysis of students’ free-text responses regarding their main insights from the course.

Results:
Response rate was 92.4% (n=256, ∅ age=26 years, 60% women). 88% of the students enjoyed working on the course, and 83% perceived it as practice-orientated. 75% reported to have gained new personal insights and 60% new professional knowledge. Although 92% reported an enhanced understanding for elderly patients, 85% disagreed that online simulations may generally replace real-world aging games. PDF documents containing audio and video-links directly imitating conditions (visual or hearing impairment) were rated best. Students’ main insights from the course (qualitative data) most frequently referred to aspects of professional interaction with geriatric patients, knowledge about conditions/diseases, role reversal, and enhanced empathy.

Conclusions:
Very simple online aging game equivalents are suitable to provide students with relevant insights and raise awareness for elderly patients’ needs. They might be alternatively implemented into the education of health professionals where resource intensive real-world simulations are unfeasible.

Points for discussion:
Which other content could be suitable to enrich the students’ experiences?

How can the results of this study be integrated in blended learning concepts?

How were the results affected by the fact that no presence teaching was possible at the time of the survey?