@entity45769 is an interactive educational @entity6 simulator which has been made available without charge on the Internet. Since its launch on the World Wide Web in 1996 over 87,000 @entity1 have visited the @entity45769 Website--http://www.2aida.org--and over 22,000 copies of the program have been downloaded from there free-of-charge. The @entity45769 software is believed to be of use in recreating clinically realistic @entity6 situations for interactive simulation. However, despite its widespread application, its actual utility for supporting the education of @entity1 with @entity6 remains to be objectively demonstrated in a clinical randomised controlled trial (RCT) setting. The current " @entity6 Technology _ WebWatch" column overviews a prospective RCT methodology for formally evaluating the educational utility of an interactive @entity6 simulator, like @entity45769 . The protocol makes use of two study arms--each receiving different educational interventions. During lessons, arm A of the study will be exposed to the @entity45769 simulator (the active intervention), while arm B (the control group) will benefit from conventional educational methods using standard presentations with slides and transparencies. Six lessons will be held for each study arm (one per week). At the beginning and end of the study self-monitoring blood @entity413 (SMBG) data will be collected, details of any hypoglycemic episodes recorded, and assessments made of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels. @entity1 will also be required to complete a detailed questionnaire to assess their self-confidence, quality of life and metabolic control, attitudes towards SMBG, and knowledge about insulin dosage calculation. Comparisons will be made between arm A and arm B using unpaired statistical analyses. A partial cross-over study design is also proposed whereby subsequently the control group will be exposed to the @entity45769 simulator during a further 6-week course of lessons. This will ensure that the maximum number of subjects will eventually receive the active intervention, and will also allow further within group paired analyses to be applied (with greater statistical power). This current " @entity6 Technology _ WebWatch" column documents two of the questionnaires which are intended to be used for this RCT approach.

Questionnaires for a randomized controlled trial methodology to evaluate the teaching utility of XXXX simulation programs.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'Participants', 'people'] @entity6 :: ('MESH:D003920', 'Disease') :: ['type 1 diabetes mellitus', 'Diabetes Information', 'diabetes'] @entity413 :: ('MESH:D005947', 'Chemical') :: ['glucose'] @entity45769 :: ('64853', 'Gene') :: ['AIDA']
@entity6 :: (MESH:D003920,Disease) :: ['diabetes']
