Ecofisio, a Mobile Application for Assessment and Diagnosis Using Ultrasound Imaging for Undergraduate Health Science Students

NCT04138511 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: EcoFisio PID 14-56
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 110
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

The new called "Generation Z" is starting to reach college age. They have adopted technology and create a deep dependence on it, becoming more drawn to the virtual world. M-learning has experienced a huge expansion in recent years in both, medical context and medical and health's sciences education. Ultrasound is an important diagnosis technique in physiotherapy, especially in sports pathology. m-Learning environments could be a useful tool for improve the comprehension of ultrasound concepts and the acquisition of professional competencies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and the use of an interactive platform accessible through mobile devices (ECOFISIO) using ultrasound imaging for the development of professional competencies in the evaluation and diagnosis of sports pathologies. Participants were 110 undergraduate students enrolled in two groups of this randomized controlled multicentre study: a control group (traditional learning) and experimental group (ECOFISIO mobile application). All participants were assessed both theoretically and by means of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) exams.

Conditions

Sport Injury; Educational Problems

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)

  An OSCE is a type of examination often used in health sciences. It is designed to test clinical skill performance and competence in a range of skills. The OSCE content and scoring procedures are standardized. It consists of five stations with five specific components of musculoskeletal ultrasound. Each test station is designed to focus on an area of clinical competence, namely: patient positioning, ultrasound probe positioning, ultrasound probe orientation (angle), ultrasound probe management and image adjustment. A standardized scoring tool is used to record what you do or don't do well, with a Likert scale with a range of 0 to 4 to rate the specific efficiency of each component. All OSCE candidates experience the same problem and are asked to perform the same task, within the same deadline. OSCEs are now widely used in undergraduate, graduate and undergraduate assessments. Overall reliability for this tool, Cronbach's alpha, is 0.89.

  After the self-study periods in both study groups, up to two weeks.

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Multiple Choice Questionnaire (MCQ)

  After the self-study periods in both study groups, up to two weeks.

Other Outcomes (1)

• Satisfaction survey

  After the self-study periods in both study groups, up to two weeks.

Study Arms (2)

Experimental group (ECOFISIO)

EXPERIMENTAL

Ecofisio Group received the ECOFISIO mobile application after students had received theoretical-practical lessons about ultrasound skills in sports pathologies areas, to study the subject.

Device: ECOFISIO

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

Students received theoretical-practical lessons about ultrasound skills in sports pathologies areas and used traditional study models, to study the subject

Interventions

ECOFISIO DEVICE

The ECOFISIO application is focused on sports pathologies and contains relevant written and digital information about ultrasound imaging and managing as well as diagnosis of sport injuries.

Experimental group (ECOFISIO)

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• To have anatomy and biomechanics previous knowledge.
• To be enrolled in any required subject.
• To have basic ability to use a mobile application.
• To have a smartphone with Internet Access (Android Operating System).

You may not qualify if:

• \- To have received any previous training in ultrasound imaging and managing.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Irene Cantarero Villanueva: lead

Related Publications (1)

• Lozano-Lozano M, Galiano-Castillo N, Fernandez-Lao C, Postigo-Martin P, Alvarez-Salvago F, Arroyo-Morales M, Cantarero-Villanueva I. The Ecofisio Mobile App for Assessment and Diagnosis Using Ultrasound Imaging for Undergraduate Health Science Students: Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Internet Res. 2020 Mar 10;22(3):e16258. doi: 10.2196/16258.

  PMID: 32154784 DERIVED

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 18, 2019
• First Posted: October 24, 2019
• Study Start: January 1, 2014
• Primary Completion: June 1, 2015
• Study Completion: December 21, 2016
• Last Updated: October 28, 2019

Record last verified: 2019-10