A call for improving of musculoskeletal education on physical medicine and rehabilitation studies: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

Background: The incidence of musculoskeletal diseases is increasing in clinical practice, leading to a growing demand for rehabilitation medicine. However, education in musculoskeletal education is lacking in the training of physical medicine and rehabilitation students. This study aims to evaluate the impact of musculoskeletal education on medical students' learning of rehabilitation medicine and analyze the correlation between influencing factors and education.

Objectives: The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of musculoskeletal education on medical students' learning of rehabilitation medicine. Furthermore, the authors aim to analyze the correlation between various influencing factors and the effectiveness of this education, with the goal of informing future educational interventions and enhancing student outcomes.

Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted across the Pubmed, Ovid, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases for relevant articles published from January 2012 to September 2024. The search focused on medical students as the research subjects and musculoskeletal education as the intervention method. Both randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized controlled trials (non-RCTs) were included. The selected studies underwent a systematic review, and meta-analysis was performed using R 3.4.4 software.

Results: After a thorough search, 41 studies were included. The retrospective study indicated that the most common impacts were knowledge acquisition, self-confidence, and satisfaction. The subsequent meta-analysis revealed significant increases in students' knowledge acquisition [standardized mean differences (SMD) = 2.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] (1.36, 2.94), I = 97%, random effect model] and self-confidence [SMD = 5.81, 95% CI (2.88, 8.75), I = 97%, random effect model]. Compared with the general teaching control group, the knowledge acquisition of students in the observation group improved [SMD = 0.25, 95% CI (0.00, 0.51), I = 83%, in the random effect model]; However, no significant difference in satisfaction occurred [SMD = 0.27, 95% CI (-0.47, 1.01), P > 0.05, I = 89%, in the random effects model].

Conclusion: Musculoskeletal education primarily impacts knowledge acquisition self-confidence, and satisfaction among physical medicine and rehabilitation students. The meta-analysis further establishes that musculoskeletal education significantly enhances knowledge acquisition and confidence in these students.

Trial Registration: CRD42024563899 (completed on July 17, 2024).