171 - Validation of the Meoatlas Application - 3D Scanned Cadaveric Specimens in the Teaching of Anatomy: Randomized Controlled Study

Poster Board Number: 171
There are separate poster presentation times for odd and even posters.
Odd poster #s – first hour
Even poster #s – second hour

Co-authors:

Lucas Macedo Lopes - Centro Universitário Christus (UNICHRISTUS); Caio Nakamura do Nascimento - Centro Universitário Christus (UNICHRISTUS); Marcela Albuquerque de Holanda - Centro Universitário Christus (UNICHRISTUS); Zilfran Carneiro Teixeira Filho - Centro Universitário Christus (UNICHRISTUS); Roberto Brígido Ary - Centro Universitário Christus (UNICHRISTUS); Jônatas Catunda De Freitas - Professor, Human Anatomy, Centro Universitário Christus (UNICHRISTUS)

Abstract Body : Introduction & Objective: The learning of anatomy is essential for the formation of healthcare professionals. There is a growing difficulty related to the use of cadaveric anatomical specimens: shortage of available donors, cost of preparation and maintenance, difficulty of obtaining specialized handwork for the desiccation and preparation of the anatomical specimens. The MeoAtlas, is a web application that has surfaced as an innovative alternative, offering access to a large collection of anatomical pieces of cadaveric origin, 3D scanned through photogrammetric, allowing a rich and interactive educational experience. This study has the objective to validate the use of the application MeoAtlas as an efficient tool on the learning of anatomy. Material and Methods: This a randomized study controlled with medical students from the first semester divided in two groups. The experimental group had access to the platform MeoAtlas during the respiratory and cardiovascular systems for individual learning, while the controlled group followed the traditional curriculum. It was collected engagement metrics at the platform, the students' final grades and feedback about the usability to compare both groups. Results: There were included 93 in the experimental group and 70 in the control group. 66,7% were female, average age of 19 years old, there was not statistical difference between the two groups. Regarding the anatomic study methods at home, only 36.5% reported studying anatomy through textbooks, meanwhile 46.9% studied through anatomy applications and 88.5% used notes, photographs and videos. 69% of the students claimed that they do not have access to practical study with cadaver specimens as often as they would like. In the end, there was a significantly statistical difference between the final grade of the practical anatomy test of the experimental group compared to the control group (p = 0.02). Conclusion: The results obtained suggest that MeoAtlas not only facilitates the access to high-quality study material, but also contributes significantly to a better student performance, as indicated by the higher grades obtained by the experimental group in the practical anatomy test. This advancement represents an important step to overcome logistical and ethical challenges associated with learning of cadaveric specimens, as well as providing students more flexible and interactive learning.