Bridging the theory-practice gap in laboratory medicine: development and application of a standardized case library for fostering clinical reasoning in postgraduate training - Report - MDSpire

Bridging the theory-practice gap in laboratory medicine: development and application of a standardized case library for fostering clinical reasoning in postgraduate training

  • By

  • Qin Wang

  • Jingjing Zhang

  • Hao Zhang

  • Aihua Wang

  • Yuanyuan Wu

  • Zhi Duan

  • Zhidong Chen

  • Tingdong Zhou

  • Yu Wei

  • Wenwen Chu

  • Qiang Zhou

  • June 24, 2026

  • 0 min

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Clinical Report: Addressing the gap between theory and practice in laboratory medicine

Overview

This study developed a standardized case library for clinical laboratory diagnostics education and evaluated its impact on student outcomes. The findings indicate differences in student engagement and examination performance between case-based learning (CBL) and traditional lecture-based teaching.

Background

Clinical laboratory diagnostics is essential for accurate clinical decision-making. This study explores the effectiveness of a standardized case library in enhancing clinical reasoning among students in Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics.

Data Highlights

GroupEngagement ScoreEnd-of-Rotation Exam Score
CBL Group (n=18)4.5 ± 0.495.4 ± 2.9
Control Group (n=18)3.2 ± 0.689.6 ± 7.5

Key Findings

  • The CBL group achieved a higher engagement level with 66.6% rated as 'high engagement' compared to 33.3% in the control group.
  • Student self-reported engagement scores significantly improved in the CBL group (P < 0.01).
  • The CBL group showed a mean score improvement of 5.8 points on end-of-rotation examinations (P = 0.004).
  • Thematic analysis indicated that CBL reduced cognitive load and enhanced professional self-confidence.
  • The study presents findings on the integration of real-world cases into laboratory medicine education.

Clinical Implications

The study reports that incorporating a standardized case library into laboratory medicine education may influence students' clinical reasoning and engagement.

Conclusion

The development and implementation of a standardized case library within a CBL framework shows potential in enhancing clinical competencies in laboratory medicine education.

Related Resources & Content

  1. Frontiers in Medicine, 2026 -- Educational strategies for enhancing medical students’ competency in laboratory medicine practice: a scoping review
  2. Frontiers in Medicine, 2026 -- Critical thinking in early medical education: experiences from a first-year science course
  3. the pathologist, 2026 -- Pathology Education in the Age of Copilots
  4. ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Anatomic Pathology and Clinical Pathology, 2025
  5. Frontiers in Medicine — Tracking the evolution of medical students' clinical documentation skills: a pilot study leveraging a simulated electronic record and a longitudinal panel data analysis
  6. ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Anatomic Pathology and Clinical Pathology
  7. EFLM Essentials 2024–2025
  8. How and When Should Clinical Reasoning Be Taught in Undergraduate Medicine: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses
  9. Comparing the seminar-case learning and lecture-based learning models in medical education: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - PubMed
  10. Enhancing Clinical Reasoning with Virtual Patients: A Hybrid Systematic Review Combining Human Reviewers and ChatGPT | MDPI
  11. Core Elements of Hospital Diagnostic Excellence (DxEx) | Patient Safety | CDC
  12. What Is Diagnostic Stewardship? | The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine | Oxford Academic
  13. Updates on the WHO model list of essential in vitro

Original Source(s)

Bridging the theory-practice gap in laboratory medicine: development and application of a standardized case library for fostering clinical reasoning in postgraduate training

  • by Qin Wang, Jingjing Zhang, Hao Zhang, Aihua Wang, Yuanyuan Wu, Zhi Duan, Zhidong Chen, Tingdong Zhou, Yu Wei, Wenwen Chu, Qiang Zhou

  • June 24, 2026

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