Final-year logbooks in otorhinolaryngology in Germany – insights from a needs analysis and user experience study of final-year students and supervisors

Background: In an effort to improve the structured training during the practical year in Germany, the German Medical Licensing Regulations have made it mandatory for final-year students to keep a logbook in 2013. This strategy aims to ensure the relevance and review of learning content and to improve the transparency and quality of teaching in the final year. The logbook recommended by the German Society of Otorhinolaryngology is to be used nationwide. Methods: Our study investigated the acceptance and use of logbooks through voluntary, anonymous online surveys of supervisors and students in Germany. The questionnaires contained eight and twelve questions, respectively. A total of 50 supervisors and 28 students participated in the survey. Results: The results showed that 26% of supervisors and 21% of students do not use a logbook. 64% of the supervisors preferred a digital version of the logbook, while 60.7% of the students also mostly agree with a digital version. It is particularly noteworthy that 79% of the students, who currently rarely use the logbook (as an analog version), stated that they would use it more often if it were available digitally. Conclusion: Our study confirms the highly heterogeneous use of logbooks during the practical year in otorhinolaryngology. Faculty-owned logbooks can be customized to specific curricula and needs more easily, which explains their popularity. Although most supervisors consider digitization useful, there are concerns about the effort involved and the potential lack of added value. Therefore, a digitized logbook should be designed not only as a control tool, but also as an interactive learning companion with clear learning objectives, in order to promote internal learning motivation.