Effectiveness of pre-recorded presentation of postpartum intrauterine device insertion training for medical students in Uganda

Abstract

Background: Postpartum intrauterine device (PPIUD) is a highly effective long-term contraceptive method inserted after delivery. In Uganda, low uptake is linked to a lack of insertion skill training among providers, hindering teaching efforts for pre-service trainees. Video-based training, beneficial in high-resource areas, faces limitations in low-resource settings due to device access challenges. We aimed to evaluate the preliminary effectiveness of audio-visual content in teaching PPIUD knowledge and insertion skills to undergraduate medical students in Uganda. Methods: A two-arm, quasi-experimental design was used in which the experimental group received pre-recorded lectures and skills sessions, and the control group received current teaching methods. Paired and independent t-tests assessed differences in knowledge and skills acquisition within and between groups using Stata version 17 and GraphPad Prism version 9. Results: The analysis of 67 students (37 control, 30 intervention) showed significant post-test score improvement in both groups (p<0.001). Although the intervention group had a higher mean post-test score than the control group, the difference wasn't significant (p=0.069). Some student categories, like pre-test failures (p=0.021) and MBChB year 3 students (p=0.011), performed better with audio-visual aids. No significant difference was found in procedure performance scores between the intervention and control groups (p=0.634). Discussion: Audio-visual contents positively impacted medical students' knowledge and skills, suggesting a role in reproductive health training in Ugandan settings.