title: Educational psychology in medical learning: a randomised controlled trial of two aide memoires for the recall of causes of electromechanical dissociation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although mnemonics are commonly used in medical education there are few data on their effectiveness. A RCT was undertaken to test the hypothesis that a new aide memoire, "EMD-aide", would be superior to the conventional "4Hs+4Ts" mnemonic in facilitating recall of causes of electromechanical dissociation (EMD) among house officers.
  
  
  METHODS
  "EMD-aide", organises causes of EMD by frequency of occurrence and ease of reversibility: four groups organised by shape, colour, position, numbering, clockwise sequence, and use of arrows. Eight hospitals were randomised in a controlled trial and 149 house officers were then recruited by telephone. Baseline ability to recall causes of EMD was recorded at one minute and overall. House officers were then sent a copy of either "4Hs+4Ts" or "EMD-aide" according to randomisation group. Recall ability was retested at one month.
  
  
  RESULTS
  68 of 80 and 51 of 69 house officers completed the study in the "4Hs+4Ts" and "EMD-aide" groups respectively (NS) with similar baseline recall. After intervention median number of recalled causes was greater in the "EMD-aide" group, eight compared with seven at one minute (p = 0.034) and eight compared with seven overall, p = 0.067. Recall of all eight causes was more common in "EMD-aide" group, 54% compared with 35%, p = 0.054, and these house officers spent longer examining their aide memoire, p<0.001.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  "EMD-aide" may be superior to "4Hs+4Ts" in facilitating the recall of the causes of electromechanical dissociation. Educational psychology of medical learning and the use of aide memoires in general are worthy of further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham, Portsmouth PO6 3LY, UK.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dyson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Voisey
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Higgins
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: McQuillan
mesh_terms: D000004:Abbreviations as Topic; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000379:methods*; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education*; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000209:etiology*; D006329:Heart Conduction System; D006801:Humans; D020896:Hypovolemia / Q000150:complications; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000150:complications; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D011939:Mental Recall; D011588:Psychology, Educational; D012153:Retention, Psychology; D012307:Risk Factors