Long-term Outcomes of Geriatric Medicine Teaching Strategies: Comparing no Content, Traditional Lecture, and Flipped Classroom 2 Years Postintervention

The long-term effects of use of the flipped classroom to teach geriatric medicine are still underexplored.

To investigate whether different educational interventions on geriatrics (i.e., flipped classrooms—FL and traditional lectures—TR) could have an influence on long-term attitudes and stereotypes among medical students compared to not having such exposure (control—CG) after 2 years of follow-up.

An intervention study was conducted during the third year of medical school training. Two different educational strategies (FL and TR) were incorporated into a course of geriatrics. Students were evaluated at baseline, postintervention, and after 2 years of follow-up concerning their attitudes toward older persons (Maxwell–Sullivan, UCLA geriatric attitudes), empathy (Maxwell–Sullivan), knowledge and stereotypes (Palmore Facts on Aging), and self-reported opinions on older adults.

A total of 216 medical students were included (68 CG, 72 TR, and 76 FL). At the 2-year follow-up, the FL had better scores than the TR on the Palmore Facts on Aging (d = 0.42); the FL had better scores than the control group for the Maxwell–Sullivan Attitudes (d = 0.40); and both the FL and TR had better scores for the Palmore Facts on Aging (d = 1.56 to 1.75) and the Likert items “preparedness” (d = 1.10 to 1.19), “knowledge” (d = 1.08 to 1.20), and “prescribing” (d = 0.33 to 0.40) compared to the CG.

Teaching geriatric medicine could impact the long-term outcomes of medical students and the way this teaching is delivered can influence students’ learning.