Identifying Learning Strategies to Improve Blood Pressure Measurement in Physical Therapy Education Programs

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of this study is to determine an effective teaching strategy for Physical Therapy students in a Doctor of Physical Therapy program that will produce consistent and accurate measuring of blood pressure in the healthcare clinic using the guidelines established by the American Heart Association.

Official Title
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Identifying Learning Strategies to Improve Blood Pressure Measurement in Physical Therapy Education Programs

Conditions
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Blood Pressure Measurement

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Multi-component teaching content


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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This study is anticipated to have 40-45 students as participants that can vary in age range, but will mostly be centered around the 21-30 year old age range demographically. Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students that are enrolled in the DPT program at Youngstown State will be recruited for this study, along with, patients who receive Physical Therapy services at the Midlothian Free Clinic. The participants will also come from both gender groups, with no exclusion criteria based on age and gender for this study. Exclusion Criteria: Group 1 Exclusion criteria (Experimental group): Must be admitted to DPT program at Youngstown State University Complete the Blood Pressure (BP) measure training module in the Clinical Skills Foundation Pass the competency lab examination in Clinical Skills Foundation (> 80% score) Group 2 Exclusion criteria (Control group): Must be admitted to DPT program at Youngstown State University Have not completed the BP training module (AMA) and competency lab examination in the Clinical Skills Foundation course Patient Exclusion criteria: Must be able to follow basic commands Must be able to perform a transfer to multiple surfaces
Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Other
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Group 1<br>Group 1 will include first year Physical Therapy students who will be trained for Blood Pressure (BP) measurement using a brief powerpoint lecture, completion of an interactive BP measurement module from the American Medical Association which includes a quiz assessment and certificate of completion, and a competency examination during the lab portion of class. | Other: Multi-component teaching content<br>* The students assigned to Group 1 will undergo interactive module training by the American Medical Association which outlines how to properly measure blood pressure manually following the American Heart Association guidelines. Following completion of the module, students will be presented with a powerpoint lecture by the Primary Investigator on Blood Pressure. Students will then undergo a competency examination that assesses their ability to measure blood pressure following the guidelines of the American Heart Association.<br>* Other names: Competency Based Examination of Blood Pressure Measurement by Students;|
| No Intervention: Group 2<br>Group 2 consists of second year PT students who only had a powerpoint lecture on Blood Pressure measurement that was done virtually with no lab component or American Medical Association interactive module training. | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Competency Assessment Form | This form was developed by the Primary Investigator to objectively measure a student's ability to take a manual blood pressure reading following the established guidelines of the American Heart Association. | When the student is performing the blood pressure measurement which will span approximately 15-20 minutes | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pre-Measurement Student Survey | A survey will be provided for students to complete prior to measuring blood pressure in the clinic. The components of the survey will assess: basic information related to confidence in blood pressure measurements, prior training (before entering the Doctor of Physical Therapy program), and identification of overall strengths and weaknesses when conducting blood pressure measurements. | 10 minute survey given prior to participating in the study to both groups of students | 
| Post-Measurement Student Survey | A survey will be provided for students to complete after measuring blood pressure in the clinic. The components of the survey will assess: items for the student to self-reflect on their performance and identify how confident they were in the procedure they used to complete the blood pressure measurements, and overall self-identified strengths and weaknesses. | 10 minute survey given following participation in the study to both groups of students | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Physical Therapy, Teaching, Education