title: e-Learning in Surgical Education: A Systematic Review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  e-Learning involves the delivery of educational content through web-based methods. Owing to work-hour restrictions and changing practice patterns in surgery, e-learning can offer an effective alternative to traditional teaching. Our aims were to (1) identify current modalities of e-learning, (2) assess the efficacy of e-learning as an intervention in surgical education through a systematic review of the literature, and (3) discuss the relevance of e-learning as an educational tool in surgical education. This is the first such systematic review in this field.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic search of MEDLINE and EMBASE was conducted for relevant articles published until July 2014, using a predefined search strategy. The database search was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 38 articles were found which met the inclusion criteria. In these studies, e-learning was used as an intervention in 3 different ways: (1) to teach cases through virtual patients (18/38); (2) to teach theoretical knowledge through online tutorials, or other means (18/38); and (3) to teach surgical skills (2/38). Nearly all of the studies reviewed report significant knowledge gain from e-learning; however, 2 in 3 studies did not use a control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  e-Learning has emerged as an effective mode of teaching with particular relevance for surgical education today. Published studies have demonstrated the efficacy of this method; however, future work must involve well-designed randomized controlled trials comparing e-learning against standard teaching.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: nithish.jayakumar@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Nithish
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jayakumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Brunckhorst
authors.affiliation: Urology Centre, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Great Maze Pond, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Prokar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dasgupta
authors.affiliation: Urology Centre, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Great Maze Pond, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Muhammad Shamim
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Urology Centre, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Great Maze Pond, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Kamran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ahmed
mesh_terms: D020375:Education, Distance; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000379:methods*; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D020407:Internet
keywords: Internet; Medical Knowledge; Patient Care; Practice-Based Learning and Improvement; computer-assisted instruction; educational technology; graduate medical education; surgery