Clinical trial NCT05931679: Pandemic-Proofing Simulation-based Education
Official title: Pandemic-Proofing Simulation-based Education: Development and Evaluation of Interactive Virtual Educational Content for Medical Trainees
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: COVID 19
Keywords: Virtual Reality
Simulation
Lead sponsor: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Sunnybrook Research Institute
First posted: 2023-07-05
Enrollment: 45
Sex: ALL
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: Participants will be randomized to one of three groups - interactive VR, 360o video, or theatre-based education.
Primary purpose: OTHER

Brief summary: The goal is to develop and evaluate two VR simulations (interactive VR, 3600 video) applied to the context of Emergency Medicine. The aim of this pilot study is to develop two VR simulations, and to compare their effectiveness with traditional theatre-based simulations.

Primary Objectives: to compare knowledge retention and application of knowledge during emergency crisis scenarios following VR-360, interactive VR and theatre-based simulation sessions.

Secondary Objectives: to assess the usability and feasibility (resources), as well as the emotional engagement, of the above three modalities.

Detailed description: Phase 1: Creation of Content: A software engineer with expertise in video-game development will be hired to develop the computer-generated emergency department in collaboration with the educators and clinicians on the team. A theatre-based trauma scenario from the current uOttawa Emergency Department curriculum will be adapted to the VR platform. This virtual environment will allow a team of students to manage a patient simultaneously through their avatars, from a first-person perspective. In parallel, the same scenario will be scripted, in all its permutations, and recorded using a 360-degree HD video camera. The recording will be made using the investigators as actors, with additional interprofessional volunteers recruited as needed. These videos will be edited and then converted to an application that can be uploaded to the Oculus platform. Both platforms will undergo piloting for content and usability. The amount of time, money and other resources required to develop each of these scenarios will be calculated.

Phase 2: Evaluating the intervention:

Pre-test: Prior to participating in one of the 3 educational interventions, participants will complete a pre-test of their content-specific knowledge and knowledge application with respect to trauma resuscitation. As well, they will participate in a video-recorded in-situ simulation of a trauma resuscitation. Team performance will be recorded for subsequent scoring (see measures and analysis section below). During the in-situ sessions, the investigators will measure the learners' heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) with the use of a Polar H10 chest belt linked with a commercial capture and analysis software program on an iPad. This will allow us to measure both arousal and stress responses, as physiological indication of the learners' emotional engagement.

Intervention: Following the pre-test, residents will either participate in the interactive VR, the 360o video or the in-person theatre-based simulation sessions.

Post-test. Two weeks after the education session, all participants will complete a post-test of their knowledge and knowledge application (matched in difficulty with pre-test), as well as lead an in-situ simulated trauma resuscitation. The sessions will be videotaped for subsequent rating of clinical and team performance.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

Participants will be residents or medical students

Exclusion Criteria:

Anyone who is not a resident or medical student

Primary outcomes:
measure: The primary outcome measures will be changes in knowledge and in clinical performance from pre-test to post-test.
timeFrame: Two weeks, will be done prior to post-test of knowledge and Knowledge application
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Mean heart rate (HR)
timeFrame: During the simulation sessions, throughout the study: 5 minutes prior to start of each scenario, for the duration of each scenario, for the duration of the debriefing, for the duration of the post-test over a 2 week period
measure: Peak heart rate (HR)
timeFrame: During the simulation sessions, throughout the study: 5 minutes prior to start of each scenario, for the duration of each scenario, for the duration of the debriefing, for the duration of the post-test over a 2 week period
measure: Heart rate variability - rMSSD
timeFrame: During the simulation sessions, throughout the study: 5 minutes prior to start of each scenario, for the duration of each scenario, for the duration of the debriefing, for the duration of the post-test
measure: Heart rate variability - pNN50
timeFrame: During the simulation sessions, throughout the study: 5 minutes prior to start of each scenario, for the duration of each scenario, for the duration of the debriefing, for the duration of the post-test over a 2 week period
Other outcomes:
Locations:
Study officials:
affiliation: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
name: Glenn Posner
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: