Development and evaluation of a practical teaching model for medical laboratory interns based on the "quality-safety-patient-centered" triple helix framework.
- 1Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
Abstract
Background
Balancing competency-based education, quality improvement, and patient-centered care remains a challenge in laboratory medicine internships. This study developed a "quality-safety-patient-centered" triple helix framework and evaluated its association with educational outcomes in an exploratory quasi-experimental setting.Methods
This study employed a two-phase, quasi-experimental, non-randomized design with a historical control group. The control group (n = 30, grade 2022) received conventional teaching, while the experimental group (n = 32, grade 2023) underwent the Triple Helix-based model. Both completed a 48-week internship. Outcomes included the Triple Helix Integrated Literacy Scale, Mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise (Mini-CEX), theoretical and practical examinations, process quality and safety indicators, and satisfaction ratings.Results
The experimental group showed higher scores than the control group on the Triple Helix Integrated Literacy Scale total score (106.25 ± 7.96 vs. 88.70 ± 8.25; mean difference 17.55, 95% CI: 13.42-21.66; P < 0.001), Mini-CEX comprehensive score (7.63 ± 0.53 vs. 6.47 ± 0.62; mean difference 1.16, 95% CI: 0.88-1.44; P < 0.001), theoretical examination score (87.91 ± 4.98 vs. 82.47 ± 5.86; mean difference 5.44, 95% CI: 2.67-8.21; P < 0.001), and practical skills (90.28 ± 4.87 vs. 84.13 ± 6.02; mean difference 6.15, 95% CI: 3.36-8.94; P < 0.001). For process indicators, the experimental group showed higher rates of quality control (QC) out-of-control management accuracy (93.8% vs. 70.0%; risk difference 23.75%, 95% CI: 5.33-42.17; P = 0.014), critical value notification timeliness (100% vs. 80.0%; risk difference 20.00%, 95% CI: 5.69-34.31; P = 0.010), and patient identification compliance rate (93.8% vs. 73.3%; risk difference 20.42%, 95% CI: 2.51-38.33; P = 0.040). Satisfaction ratings from clinicians, patients, and preceptors were all higher in the experimental group (all P < 0.001).Conclusion
In this exploratory study, the triple helix teaching model was associated with better performance across quality, safety, and patient-centered competencies. Causal inference is limited by the historical control design, yet the framework may offer a promising direction for guiding teaching reform in laboratory medicine.
Related
- Design, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive educational program for microbiology laboratory personnel and graduate students in teaching hospitals
- From Framework to Toolkit: Practical Guidance for Using the PrOcess Evaluation of Trials In Critical care (POETIC) Framework
- Ten simple rules for teaching practical AI to health data teams
- Perceptions of residents and graduates regarding the theoretical-practical teaching model in orthopedics.
- Practical versus Theoretical Teaching of Abnormal Physical Examination Findings to Medical Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial
BibTeX
@article{wang2026development,
title = {{Development and evaluation of a practical teaching model for medical laboratory interns based on the "quality-safety-patient-centered" triple helix framework.}},
author = {Qin Wang and Qiang Zhou and Xiu Wang and Wei Tang and Naifang Ye and Aihua Wang and Hao Zhang and Jie Yao},
journal = {Frontiers in medicine},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fmed.2026.1936253},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42952562},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Development and evaluation of a practical teaching model for medical laboratory interns based on the "quality-safety-patient-centered" triple helix framework.
AU - Qin Wang
AU - Qiang Zhou
AU - Xiu Wang
AU - Wei Tang
AU - Naifang Ye
AU - Aihua Wang
AU - Hao Zhang
AU - Jie Yao
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/14
JO - Frontiers in medicine
DO - 10.3389/fmed.2026.1936253
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42952562
AB - Background Balancing competency-based education, quality improvement, and patient-centered care remains a challenge in laboratory medicine internships. This study developed a "quality-safety-patient-centered" triple helix framework and evaluated its association with educational outcomes in an exploratory quasi-experimental setting.Methods This study employed a two-phase, quasi-experimental, non-randomized design with a historical control group. The control group (n = 30, grade 2022) received conventional teaching, while the experimental group (n = 32, grade 2023) underwent the Triple Helix-based model. Both completed a 48-week internship. Outcomes included the Triple Helix Integrated Literacy Scale, Mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise (Mini-CEX), theoretical and practical examinations, process quality and safety indicators, and satisfaction ratings.Results The experimental group showed higher scores than the control group on the Triple Helix Integrated Literacy Scale total score (106.25 ± 7.96 vs. 88.70 ± 8.25; mean difference 17.55, 95% CI: 13.42-21.66; P < 0.001), Mini-CEX comprehensive score (7.63 ± 0.53 vs. 6.47 ± 0.62; mean difference 1.16, 95% CI: 0.88-1.44; P < 0.001), theoretical examination score (87.91 ± 4.98 vs. 82.47 ± 5.86; mean difference 5.44, 95% CI: 2.67-8.21; P < 0.001), and practical skills (90.28 ± 4.87 vs. 84.13 ± 6.02; mean difference 6.15, 95% CI: 3.36-8.94; P < 0.001). For process indicators, the experimental group showed higher rates of quality control (QC) out-of-control management accuracy (93.8% vs. 70.0%; risk difference 23.75%, 95% CI: 5.33-42.17; P = 0.014), critical value notification timeliness (100% vs. 80.0%; risk difference 20.00%, 95% CI: 5.69-34.31; P = 0.010), and patient identification compliance rate (93.8% vs. 73.3%; risk difference 20.42%, 95% CI: 2.51-38.33; P = 0.040). Satisfaction ratings from clinicians, patients, and preceptors were all higher in the experimental group (all P < 0.001).Conclusion In this exploratory study, the triple helix teaching model was associated with better performance across quality, safety, and patient-centered competencies. Causal inference is limited by the historical control design, yet the framework may offer a promising direction for guiding teaching reform in laboratory medicine.
SN - 2296-858X
ER -