Clinical trial NCT03976388: Virtual Clinical Simulation for Training Amongst Undergraduate Medical Students: A Pilot Randomised Trial
Official title: Virtual Clinical Simulation Amongst Undergraduate Medical Students
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Medical Education
Keywords: Virtual reality
Clinical simulation
Adherence
Guidelines
Lead sponsor: Universidad Nacional Andres Bello
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Hospital de Simulación, Universidad Andres Bello
First posted: 2019-06-06
Enrollment: 50
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: OTHER

Brief summary: In this trial, undergraduate medical students will be randomised to undergo training using a virtual reality simulator (BodyInteract®) or a standard small-group interactive discussion of a clinical scenario. Adherence to current clinical recommendations will be considered as primary outcomes for this study.

Detailed description: Objective: To assess whether a virtual reality simulator might facilitate learning and improve adherence to current clinical guidelines. Methodology: A double-masked randomised trial will be held among students at the School of Medicine of the Universidad Andres Bello. Participants will be randomised to receive training using a clinical virtual simulator (Body Interact®, Body Interact Inc, Austin, TX) designed to review key concepts in Cardiology. Students allocated to the control group will receive a small-group discussion lasting up to 60 minutes in which key topics regarding the same clinical condition will be reviewed as well. Main outcomes include the overall performance in an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) that will be reviewed by an expert panel prior to its implementation and adherence to specific recommendations in current national guidelines. This OSCE will be held 15 days after the educational session has taken place. Analyses will be undertaken under the intention to treat principle and missing data will be handled using multiple imputation techniques.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Undergraduate medical student at the Universidad Andrés Bello
* Currently undergoing the 4th or 5th year of medical training in Chile
* Obtained a passing grade in Cardiology for general physicians.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Refusal to participate.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Number of participants with passing grades in an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
timeFrame: 2 weeks after attending the educational session.
measure: Marks attained in an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
timeFrame: 2 weeks after attending the educational session.
measure: Adherence to guideline recommendations
timeFrame: 2 weeks after attending the educational session.
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Time to solve the clinical scenario
timeFrame: 2 weeks after attending the educational session.
measure: Time to deliver specific interventions
timeFrame: 2 weeks after attending the educational session.
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Viña del Mar
country: Chile
facility: Hospital de Simulación, Universidad Andrés Bello
state: Valparaíso
Study officials:
affiliation: Universidad Andres Bello
name: Felipe Martinez, MD, MSc
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
References:
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citation: Edvardsen O, Steensrud T. [Virtual reality in medical education]. Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 1998 Feb 28;118(6):902-6. Norwegian.