investigating the impact of teaching orthopedic surgical technology course using a vertical integration approach on learning outcomes of operating room students: a semi-experimental study

Background: the primary objective of medical education is to cultivate competent individuals capable of achieving preventive and therapeutic goals and improving community health. to accomplish this, the employment of effective and efficient teaching methods for the precise and systematic organization of educational content is of paramount importance.objectives: the current research aimed to investigate the impact of implementing an orthopedic surgical technology training course using a vertical integration approach on learning outcomes, clinical skills, and satisfaction as educational outcomes among operating room students.methods: this semi-experimental study was of pretest-posttest type in which 52 fifth semester undergraduate operating room students were recruited using a convenience sampling method. based on whether or not they had passed the theoretical credit of surgical technology course, they were assigned to the control (non-integrated) or intervention (integrated) groups. in the intervention group, the theoretical and practical topics of the orthopedic surgical technology course were taught using a vertical integration approach, while in the control group, training was conducted using the routine method. before and after the training, learning outcomes and clinical skills in both groups of students were assessed and compared using a questionnaire and an observational checklist. the data were analyzed using the paired t-test, wilcoxon test, and analysis of covariance (ancova) in spss software.results: based on the paired t-test results, implementing an orthopedic surgical technology training course using a vertical integration approach had a significant impact on learning outcomes and clinical skills in surgical technology (p < 0.001). the independent t-test results revealed that the level of satisfaction in the intervention group was significantly higher (p < 0.001). according to the results of the ancova, the effectiveness of the vertical integration approach intervention on learning outcomes and clinical skills was reported to be significantly higher than the non-integrated group (p < 0.001).conclusion: implementing an orthopedic surgical technology training course using a vertical integration approach can be considered an effective educational strategy that, in addition to improving learning outcomes, can culminate in improved clinical skills and satisfaction among students. therefore, it is recommended that educational managers in the operating room department pay attention to this matter and provide the conditions for implementing integrated training in their centers.