Impact of Problem-Based Learning in Teaching Course of Clinical Economics

Corresponding author: chen wanqing, chenwq@cicams.ac.cn

DOI: 10.12201/bmr.202602.00005

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  Abstract: Purpose/Significance To integrate and quantify the teaching effectiveness of the problem-based learning (PBL) approach in the specific field of the courses of clinical economics. Methods/Process Eight international and Chinese literature databases, including PubMed, Embase, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang, were searched to identify studies evaluating the application of PBL in domestic and international clinical or health economics courses. The search period extended from database inception to 31 December 2024. Based on a previously established PBL teaching quality evaluation system, by-level and -indicator data were extracted and descripted. Meta-analyses were conducted for indicators reported in 3 or more studies. Results/Conclusions A total of six studies (all in Chinese, published between 2008 and 2024, n=539) were included, with one study setting a control group (traditional teaching approach) and 5 combining PBL with other approaches or elements (such as seminar). To certain extent, the reported indicators from the included studies were well aligned with the established indicator system, covering the three secondary indicators: “knowledge acquisition”, “skill enhancement” and “competency cultivation”. As for the established tertiary indicators, only half of which were reported and positive outcomes were also observed but the overall information were limited. As the most frequently reported tertiary indicator, it’s shown that “learning interest (under the indicator of “skill enhancement”) was improved in 82.76% (95% CI: 74.85%-90.12%) of the students intervened by the PBL. Although the included studies had various perspectives, as the overall, 78.45% (95% CI: 63.21%-95.12%) of the students generally thought PBL approach was more favorable. The current analysis demonstrates the overall teaching effectiveness of the PBL approach when applied to the course of clinical or health economics, while the performance of certain individual tertiary indicators need further practice and evaluation.

  Key words: problem-based learning (PBL); medical education; clinical economics; systematic review; teaching effectiveness

  Submit time: 3 February 2026

  Copyright: The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted biomedRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity.
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