Abstract: Objective This study aimed to analysis the effect of internet-based blended medical education in China. Methods Electronic searches ofPubMed, Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Wanfang, CNKI, and VIP databases were performed. Studies published from January 1, 2000 to June 4, 2023 on the comparison between internet-based blended medical education and traditional medical education in China were included. Quality evaluation analysis and meta-analysis were conducted. Results A total of 77 studies consisting of 13 379 students met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The quality evaluation results of the included studies are all grade B, with a certain risk of bias and publication bias. According to the different types of courses, the included studies were divided into four subgroups: medical basic courses, medical specialized courses, clinical medicine practice courses, and clinical nursing practice courses. The average improvements of the knowledge test score of blended learning group in each subgroup were 7.18 (95%CI=2.25~12.11, P<0.001), 5.73 (95%CI=3.76~7.71, P<0.001), 5.51 (95%CI=3.03~8.00, P<0.001), and 5.66 (95%CI=1.84~9.49, P<0.001), respectively. The average improvements of the skill test score of blended learning group in each subgroup were 3.22 (95%CI=-0.66~7.10, P=0.100), 5.45 (95%CI=3.60~7.31, P<0.001), 6.14 (95%CI=4.40~7.89, P<0.001), and 7.62 (95%CI=5.14~10.10, P<0.001), respectively. Conclusions Internet-based blended learning can significantly improve the knowledge and skill test scores of almost all kinds of medical courses and students.

Key words: Internet, Blended learning, Traditional education method, Medical education, Systematic review, Meta-analysis