Simulated Diabetes Training for Resident Physicians

NCT00979823 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: X0710100 Resident SimCareR18DK079861
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 341
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The objective of this translational research is to study the effect of implementing an innovative simulated diabetes learning intervention within primary care residency programs. The intervention uses cognitive behavioral learning theory to provide goal-directed feedback to residents after every encounter over a series of virtual patient-physician encounters. Formulas derived from pharmacokinetic data and the experience of clinical experts model simulated physiologic responses to drug changes, health behaviors, and adherence factors. The online intervention is economical, sustainable, and addresses a number of current obstacles to outpatient diabetes training in primary care residency programs. In this group trial, we randomly assign about 20 primary care residency programs with up to 700 residents total to either an (a) Early learning program group or (b) Delayed learning program group. We will assess the ability of residents to achieve evidence-based diabetes clinical goals and avoid potential medical safety issues for glycemia, blood pressure, and lipids on simulated assessment cases. Secondary analyses will evaluate the actual use of the tool by residents, direct costs of the program, and resident satisfaction.

Conditions

Type 2 Diabetes

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Treatment according to evidence-based diabetes goals

  September 2010 - July 2013

• Drug intensification

  September 2010 - July 2013

• Number of risky prescribing events

  September 2010 - July 2013

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Secondary analyses will evaluate the actual use of the tool by residents, direct costs of the program, and resident satisfaction.

  July 2011 - January 2013

Study Arms (2)

Early SimCare Diabetes Group

EXPERIMENTAL

This group will receive an email web-link to 3 simulated learning cases each month for 6 months. After 6 months (18 total learning cases), they will then complete 4 simulated assessment cases, a diabetes knowledge survey, and a satisfaction survey.

Other: Early SimCare Diabetes Group

Delayed SimCare Diabetes Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Beginning in the spring of 2011, residents in this group will receive an email web-link to complete 4 simulated assessment cases and a diabetes knowledge survey. They will subsequently be sent 3 learning cases a month for 6 months and a satisfaction survey to complete.

Other: Delayed SimCare Diabetes Group

Interventions

Early SimCare Diabetes Group OTHER

Residents in the early learning program group will participate in the learning cases before undergoing a knowledge and performance assessment. They will complete 18 learning cases, 4 assessment cases, knowledge survey, and a satisfaction survey.

Early SimCare Diabetes Group

Delayed SimCare Diabetes Group OTHER

Residents in the delayed learning program group will receive their usual diabetes training through their residency program for 8 months before completing the knowledge and performance assessment, and then will subsequently be offered the learning program. They will receive 4 assessment cases, knowledge survey, and satisfaction survey

Delayed SimCare Diabetes Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

Study subjects include up to 700 first, second, third, and fourth year primary care residents from a minimum of 20 residency programs across the country. To become a partner in this study, programs must meet the eligibility criteria listed below: To be eligible for partnership in this study, a program must meet all the following criteria: a) be an accredited family medicine or internal medicine/med-peds training program within the U.S., (b) have a minimum of 12 residents within the standard 3- to 4-year program, (c) the program director must endorse and be willing to offer SimCare Diabetes to all residents within the program and provide residents (with help from the study staff) with the explanatory and registration materials, (d) the residency program director must sign a letter of agreement with the research team specifying the responsibilities of the research team and of the residency program in addressing the specific needs of this project, (e) the residency program director must agree to complete a residency program director survey, which provides insight into the general characteristics of the residency program, and provide diabetes quality measurement data from at least one resident ambulatory clinic pre-intervention (around October/November 2010) and post-intervention (around June/July 2011), (f) residents within the program must have high speed internet access, and (g) if randomized to the delayed learning program group, the program must be willing to postpone SimCare Diabetes until after the post-intervention assessment cases are completed.

Contact the study team to discuss eligibility requirements. They can help determine if this study is right for you.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• HealthPartners Institute: lead
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

HealthPartners Research Foundation

Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55440, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Sperl-Hillen JM, O'Connor PJ, Rush WA, Johnson PE, Gilmer T, Biltz G, Asche SE, Ekstrom HL. Simulated physician learning program improves glucose control in adults with diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2010 Aug;33(8):1727-33. doi: 10.2337/dc10-0439.

  PMID: 20668151 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Diabetes Mellitus; Glucose Metabolism Disorders; Metabolic Diseases; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Endocrine System Diseases

Study Officials

• JoAnn M Sperl-Hillen, MD

  HealthPartners Institute

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 16, 2009
• First Posted: September 18, 2009
• Study Start: September 1, 2010
• Primary Completion: July 1, 2012
• Study Completion: July 1, 2013
• Last Updated: December 3, 2014

Record last verified: 2014-12

Locations

US (1)