Effect of online-assisted learning models on core competency of dental residents in standardized training in Chi-na:a Meta-analysis

LIU Chang; PANG Xiao; WANG Liao; TANG Wei; HUA Cheng-ge; PAN Jian; LIU Ji-yuan

doi:10.19538/j.kq.2025.04.011

Abstract：Objective To analyze and compare the effects of online-assisted learning models and traditional offline learning models on the core competencies of dental residents in standardized training by Meta-analyses.Methods This study was conducted in January 2025 at West China Hospital of Stomatology,Sichuan University.Randomized controlled trials comparing the effect of online-assisted learning models(study group)with that of traditional offline learn-ing models(control group)on standardized training of den-tal residents were retrieved from CNKI,Wanfang Data,China Biology Medicine Database,PubMed,Web of Sci-ence Core Collection,Embase,and Cochrane Library from the inception of these databases to January 6,2025,and the outcome indexes included six aspects of core compe-tencies(professionalism,knowledge and skills,patient care,communication and collaboration,teaching ability,and life-long learning).Two researchers independently screened the literature,extracted data,and assessed the risk of bias.Me-ta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4.1,and the quality of evidence was assessed using the GRADE crite-ria.Results A total of 11 studies involving 635 participants were included,with all studies having a moderate risk of bi-as.The Meta-analyses showed that the study group was better than the control group in terms of knowledge and skills(theoretical knowledge scores and clinical skill scores),communication and collaboration(patient-physician communi-cation scores)and lifelong learning(self-improvement ability scores),and the differences were of statistical significance(theoretical knowledge scores:SMD=1.41,95％CI:0.90 to 1.93,P＜0.001;clinical skill scores:SMD=1.34,95％CI:0.76 to 1.93,P＜0.001;patient-physician communication scores:SMD=0.85,95％CI:0.49 to 1.20,P＜0.001;self-im-provement ability scores:SMD=1.74,95％CI:1.22 to 2.25,P＜0.001).GRADE results showed that the aspect of knowl-edge and skills was moderate-quality evidence,the aspects of professionalism,communication and collaboration and life-long learning were low-or very low-quality evidence,and there was a lack of evidence in terms of patient care and teach-ing ability.Conclusion Moderate-quality evidence suggests that online-assisted learning models are likely to enhance the core competencies of dental residents in terms of knowledge and skills.However,due to the limited number of includ-ed studies and their unsatisfactory quality,more rigorously-designed,multicenter and large-sample randomized con-trolled trials are needed to provide further evidence.