Mobile learning app: A novel method to teach clinical decision making in prosthodontics.

BACKGROUND: Prosthodontics involves replacing lost dentofacial structures using artificial substitutes. Due to availability of many materials and techniques, clinician's clinical decision-making regarding appropriate selection of prosthesis requires critical thinking abilities and is demanding. Especially during graduate training years, learners do not receive the exposure to a variety of cases, thus their clinical reasoning skills are not developed optimally. Therefore, using the trend of incorporating technology in education, we developed a mobile learning app for this purpose. The aim of this study was to evaluate learners' perceptions of this app's utility and impact on their clinical decision-making skills.

METHODS: After taking informed consent, interns of the Department of Prosthodontics of VSPM Dental College, Nagpur, India, during the academic year May 2015-May 2016 were sent the link for the app to be installed in their Android smartphones. Their perceptions were recorded on a feedback questionnaire using 5-point Likert scale. The script concordance test (SCT) was used to check for changes in clinical reasoning abilities.

RESULTS: Out of 120 students who were sent the link, 102 downloaded the link and 92 completed the feedback questionnaire and appeared for the SCT (response rate: 76%). The overall response to the app was positive for more than two-thirds of interns, who reported a greater confidence in their clinical decision-making around prostheses through this app and 94% of the students felt that this app should be regularly used along with conventional teaching techniques. Mean SCT scores were pretest 41.5 (±1.7) and posttest 63 (±2.4) (P < 0.005).

DISCUSSION: Clinical decision-making in prosthodontics, a mobile learning app, is an effective way to improve clinical reasoning skills for planning prosthodontic rehabilitation. It is well received by students.