EDMCQ is a powerful tool designed to aid with medical education. It attempts to assist in some of the challenges experienced with the demanding work environment of emergency departments. Shift work can be challenging and make the establishment of routine study habits difficult. This application is designed to assist in spaced practice or spaced repetition. 

A significant proportion of studied knowledge is poorly retained, and education institutions often promote study routines that preference this form of revision which aids short term retention of a large volume of knowledge. Current adult education theory suggests that spaced practice can aid with long term retention of knowledge (1). It has also been shown that repeated testing can produce a more effective transfer of knowledge than repeated studying (2) and is often a technique used by learners in preparation for post graduate medical examination, where questions banks can come at a premium. Spaced practice refers to a distribution of learning sessions over a period. 

Retention of information can be improved by reviewing information that has recently been practiced clinically. Studying and reviewing theoretical knowledge is a key part of reflecting on practice but can be challenging due to time constraints of multiple shifts and irregularity in working hours often experienced in busy emergency departments. 

EDMCQ aims to address this by providing a fast and easily accessible resource through which a learner can revise immediately, the theoretical information surrounding a recent case (or cases) they may have seen. Each section is designed to be completed in under 15 minutes with all information full resourced from guidelines. 

This will allow the learner to interact immediately and review the knowledge surrounding the case they have seen and facilitate the initial steps in the revision process. This process functions as a pre – test, prior to interaction with knowledge which is often done through college certified textbooks. Evidence has shown that pre-testing improves post test results more than spending an equivalent amount of time studying. (3) 

The application can also be used for general study and revision purposes. 

References: 

(1) Kang SHK. Spaced Repetition Promotes Efficient and Effective Learning: Policy Implications for Instruction. Policy Insights from the Behavioural and Brain Sciences. 2016;3(1):12-19.

(2) Butler, A. C. (2010). Repeated testing produces superior transfer of learning relative to repeated studying. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 36(5), 1118–1133. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019902

(3) Richland, L.E., Kornell, N., & Kao, S.L. (2009). The pretesting effect: Do unsuccessful retrieval   attempts enhance learning? Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 15(3), 243-257.

– Once you open the app you will be presented with a contents page, from this page you can navigate by general topic to find what you would like to revise 

 – Alternatively, you can search by diagnosis in the search bar at the top of the application 

 – There are a variety of search terms coded into the app.

 – Topics are organised by diagnosis and by speciality of medicine, you to search by either pathway. 

 – New topics are added weekly, updates can be found on our website for the most recent additions.

 – In addition to the contents page and the search function you can also test yourself by selecting a random topic using the random icon next to the search bar. 

 – All resources used for the development of questions are provided at the end of each section in the Take Home Points page. 

 – Up to date guidelines and position papers are used and resourced where able 

 – Occasionally we get things wrong – if you find an error with the questions feel free to contact our team on: edmcqfeedback@gmail.com