Use of unannounced spaced telephone testing to improve retention of knowledge after life-support courses

Abstract

Background: Life-support courses improve knowledge and skills but attrition of factual knowledge is considerable. There is evidence that retention can be improved by spaced testing.

Aim: To investigate the effect of spaced testing on retention of knowledge after a life-support course.

Method: In a prospective-controlled trial using stratified randomization, 19 final-year medical students followed a half-day life-support course involving an identical written pre-test and end-of-course test consisting of a factual and a clinical case-based test (CCT). They were subsequently assigned to an intervention and a control group matched for the end-of-course test scores. The intervention group was given four unannounced spaced CCTs intermediate tests over 2 months. The control group took one intermediate test at 6 weeks. All students took a final retention test identical to the pre-test at 2 months.

Results: Test performance improved equally in both groups immediately after the course. Students in the intervention group retained factual information significantly better than those in the control group. There was no difference in performance on the CCTs.

Conclusion: Unannounced spaced testing seems to have a positive effect on retention of factual knowledge after life-support courses. There was no evidence of an effect on clinical problem-solving ability.