Integrating Radiological Assessment and Perioperative Pharmacological Strategies in Orthopedic Care within Competency-Based Medical Education: Implications for Clinical Competence, Patient Safety, and Public Health Outcomes

Abstract

Background: Radiological assessment and perioperative pharmacology are essential components of safe and effective orthopedic care. Competency-based medical education (CBME) emphasizes practical skills, clinical reasoning, and patient-centered decision-making.Integrating radiological interpretation with pharmacological management can strengthen students’ ability to make appropriate clinical decisions.Such an integrated approach may improve clinical competence, patient safety, and preparedness for future orthopedic practice.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of an integrated competency-based medical education (CBME) approach in improving orthopedic knowledge, radiological interpretation, perioperative pharmacological decision-making, clinical reasoning, and patient-safety skills.

Methodology: The study was conducted among 200 undergraduate medical students. Participants were divided into intervention (n=100) and comparison (n=100) groups. The intervention group received integrated CBME-based teaching incorporating radiological assessment, perioperative pharmacology, clinical reasoning, case-based learning, and patient-safety principles. Knowledge, clinical competency, radiological interpretation, pharmacological decision-making, and OSCE performance were assessed before and after the intervention.

Results: The integrated CBME intervention significantly improved overall competency scores from 27.3±5.2 to 41.4±4.1 (p<0.001). Radiological interpretation scores increased from 5.2±1.6 to 8.4±1.0 (p<0.001), while the proportion of students achieving high competency increased from 17% to 80%. Post-intervention overall competency and OSCE performance were significantly higher in the intervention group than in the comparison group (41.4 vs. 33.3, p<0.001; 84.9±6.8 vs. 70.2±9.7, p<0.001, respectively).

Conclusion: Integrated CBME combining radiological assessment, perioperative pharmacology, clinical reasoning, and patient-safety education significantly enhanced orthopedic clinical competence among undergraduate medical students and may contribute to improved preparedness for safe clinical practice.