Application of case-based learning in medical student education: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of case-based learning (CBL) in medical students' education through meta-analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Elsevier and other databases were searched to find randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of CBL teaching methods and other teaching methods published from January 1, 1995, to October 1, 2020. All included studies used the Cochrane risk bias assessment tool, and Review Manager software, version 5.3 (Copenhagen, Denmark), was used for the meta-analysis and systematic review. RESULTS: A total of 8 studies were included with a total of 939 students, including 480 in the CBL group and 459 in the control group. Compared with other teaching methods, CBL teaching can improve medical students' academic performance (p=0.03) and case analysis ability (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: CBL is an active teaching method that is effective for educating medical students and helps to improve their performance and case analysis ability.