A Review of the Outcomes of the Implementation of Case-Based Anatomy Learning

Purpose: Clinically-oriented anatomy education has been proposed as an effective strategy in anatomy curricula. We aimed to explore the level of extent the literature supports the fact that case-based learning (CBL) can play a significant role in anatomy education. Materials and methods: We searched PubMed, Scopus, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), and Cochrane database to find articles with the purpose to explore the educational outcomes of case-based anatomy learning. We extracted from each paper authors, type of study (comparative or not), number of participants, level of outcome according to the Kirkpatrick hierarchy, outcomes of CBL concerning the acquisition of anatomical knowledge, and the participants’ perceived enjoyment, motivation, and aid to anatomy learning. Results: Nine articles were included. Three of them evaluated the acquisition of anatomical knowledge, while six papers evaluated the participants’ perceptions. All studies showed positive outcomes regarding the students’ anatomy examination performances, reported confidence, enjoyment, motivation, and ability of CBL to facilitate anatomy learning. Conclusion: Although the existing research has mainly evaluated students’ perceptions, the outcomes of CBL in anatomy education encourage more extensive use of this method in anatomy curricula. Further research is expected to shed more light on the role that CBL can play in modern anatomy education and to clarify if it can replace or supplement didactic teaching.