# Online Educational Intervention on Research Protocol Competencies in Medical Residents: A Quasi-experimental Study

## TL;DR

An online educational program significantly improved medical residents' research skills, especially in study design and data collection.

## Contribution

This study demonstrates the effectiveness of structured online interventions in enhancing research competencies among medical residents.

## Key findings

- Post-intervention assessments showed significant improvements in all evaluated research domains (p < 0.05).
- The most notable gains were in data collection procedures, participant selection, and study design.
- The assessment tool had high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.84).

## Abstract

Introduction

Competence in research methodology and protocol development is essential for medical residents to integrate evidence-based medicine into clinical practice. Online Educational Interventions (OEIs) have been implemented as a structured approach to enhance these skills. This study assesses the impact of an OEI on research methodology knowledge and protocol development among first-year medical residents.

Methods

A quasi-experimental, prospective study was conducted from June 2022 to February 2023 at the Family Medicine Unit No. 1 of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) in Victoria, Mexico. First-year residents from multiple specialties participated in a structured OEI designed to strengthen competencies in research methodology. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were carried out using a custom-designed questionnaire validated through expert review. Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank and paired Student’s t-tests, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.

Results

A total of 101 medical residents were enrolled in the study, of whom 65 completed the intervention. Among the completers, 39 (60.0%) were female residents, and 26 (40.0%) were male residents. Family Medicine was the most represented specialty, comprising 29 participants (44.6%). Post-intervention assessments demonstrated statistically significant improvements across all evaluated domains (p < 0.05), with the most pronounced gains observed in data collection procedures, participant selection, and study design. The assessment tool showed high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.84).

Conclusions

Structured OEIs significantly improve research methodology knowledge and protocol development skills in medical residents. These findings support their integration into residency training programs to strengthen research capacity and advance evidence-based practice.