Curated FOAMed resources can produce greater short-term improvements in ECG interpretation and text-based ACS clinical decision-making than traditional print-based materials in interprofessional emergency care providers.
Both FOAMed and print-based groups improved in ECG interpretation accuracy, but the FOAMed group showed greater gains.
Both FOAMed and print-based groups improved in text-based ACS clinical decision-making, with the FOAMed group showing greater gains.
Exploratory subgroup analyses provided no evidence of differential effects across age, gender, or professional background.
Qualitative free-text responses provided contextual insights supporting the quantitative findings.
The study focused on subtle, emerging ischemic ECG patterns rather than established STEMI criteria, filling a gap in existing ECG education research.
The study was not prospectively registered because it assessed educational outcomes in health care professionals rather than patient health outcomes.
Concise, high-quality digital FOAMed modules may represent a practical supplement to structured continuing education in emergency care, though implications for clinical performance remain hypothetical.
This research suggests that freely available online medical education resources (called FOAMed — Free Open Access Medical Education), delivered as videos and podcasts, can be more effective than traditional printed study materials for teaching emergency care providers how to recognize dangerous heart attack patterns on electrocardiograms (ECGs). In a study of 103 paramedics, prehospital emergency physicians, and emergency department clinicians across five sites in Germany, participants who used a 30-minute FOAMed multimedia module improved their ECG pattern recognition from 55% to 65.5% accuracy and their clinical decision-making from 45% to 68%, compared to smaller improvements in the group using printed materials (57% to 60% and 47% to 63%, respectively). Importantly, the study focused on newer, subtler heart attack ECG patterns that are often missed, not just the classic and well-known signs. The study also found no evidence that age, gender, or professional background changed how much participants benefited from either format, though the researchers noted those subgroup analyses may not have had enough participants to detect differences. Qualitative feedback from participants supported the numerical findings, with the FOAMed group reporting positive experiences around clarity, engagement, and practical relevance of the content. This research suggests that short, well-designed digital learning modules could be a useful addition to ongoing training for emergency care professionals who need to quickly identify life-threatening heart conditions. However, the authors caution that whether these short-term educational gains translate into better patient care in real clinical settings remains to be determined. The study highlights a practical and scalable way to address known gaps in ECG education across different types of emergency care providers.
Turner W, Fessele K, Fandler M, Ehlers J, Nitsche J. (2026). Teaching Acute Coronary Syndrome High-Risk ECG Interpretation and Clinical Decision-Making Through FOAMed Videos and Podcast Versus Print-Based Materials Among Emergency Care Providers: Randomized Controlled Mixed Methods Trial.. JMIR medical education. https://doi.org/10.2196/87587