Therapist-led Microlearning Curriculum for Resident Mobility Education

Background: Early mobility programs can mitigate or prevent functional decline in hospitalized patients. Studies have shown that insufficient staff mobility-related knowledge can hinder efficacy and sustainability of mobility initiatives. Integrating mobility education into residency training may help to bridge this knowledge gap. The purpose of this randomized pre-post survey study was to evaluate the impact of a standardized microlearning mobility curriculum embedded into daily interdisciplinary rounds on internal medicine residents’ self-reported beliefs, knowledge, and practices related to inpatient mobility. Methods: A mobility curriculum utilizing microlearning principles, consisting of 4 weekly 5-10-minute sessions, was developed and implemented at an academically-affiliated Veteran’s Hospital. Residents were randomly assigned by team numbers into an Education (intervention) group and a Control group. A questionnaire was developed and validated to assess the impact of the curriculum on learner perceptions, knowledge, and clinical practices. The survey was administered to the entire cohort of trainees at the beginning and end of their 4-week rotations, with results analyzed for differences between the groups. Outcomes: Both the Education and Control groups exhibited consistently positive attitudes towards inpatient mobility at baseline and after the study. The Education group reported higher confidence in mobility knowledge compared to the Control group post-intervention. Though reported mobility practices remained similar between groups, there was higher correlation between knowledge and practice responses in the Education group. Conclusion: As part of early mobility programmatic efforts, a microlearning curriculum embedded into interdisciplinary rounds can be effective in enhancing residents’ mobility-related knowledge and confidence.