Integrated Basic Science Within the Instructional Design of Pattern Recognition Training

NCT05087485 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: AISC-ISF-2021
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 87
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Investigators hypothesize that the introduction of basic science explanations within the instructional design of case-based training in visual diagnostics will improve students' learning curves, retention, and retrieval of knowledge/skill following a washout period. Research question: In a group of medical students with limited dermatological training, what is the effect of integrating biomedical causal explanations of visual criteria during a prolonged case-based skin cancer training program in visual pattern recognition when compared with an identical instructional design without biomedical explanations? How will the displacement of students' cognitive resources from practicing pattern recognition towards understanding the pattern, affect their learning behavior, learning curve (accuracy and time per diagnosis), and retrieval of pattern recognition skills following a washout period? The above-mentioned research questions will be tested through a randomized trial with an allocation ratio of 1:1. All participants will be trained in skin cancer diagnostics through a mobile application that offers simulation training and learning through written modules about the various differential diagnoses. Approximately half of the participants will be subject to a written content that displays the dermoscopic visual criteria without an explanation while the remaining half will be subject to the dermoscopic criteria + an explanation of the underlying cause. The training program consists of 500 training cases, a 14 day wash-out period, and a final training session of 100 cases.

Conditions

Melanoma; Skin Cancer

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Initial learning curve

  Slope and upper plateau of moving average from day 1-7

  7 days

• Secondary learning curve

  Slope and upper plateau of moving average from day 21-23

  3 days

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Reading time during the study

  30 days

• Number of times the reading material was accessed

  30 days

• Performance improvement on tests

  30 days

Study Arms (2)

Basic science

EXPERIMENTAL

This group will be exposed to a written learning content that includes both the presentation and underlying reason of dermoscopic criteria

Other: education

visual criteria

EXPERIMENTAL

This group will be exposed to a written learning content that includes only the presentation of dermoscopic criteria

Other: education

Interventions

education OTHER

digital education in skin cancer diagnostics

Basic science; visual criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 22 Years - 100 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Actively enrolled at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences University of Copenhagen
• Passed exams in basic histopathology and cellular physiology

You may not qualify if:

• former training in dermoscopy or skin cancer diagnostics in general

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Herlev Hospital: lead

Study Sites (1)

Niels Kvorning Ternov

Herlev, Danmark, 2730, Denmark

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Melanoma; Skin Neoplasms

Interventions

Educational Status

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neuroendocrine Tumors; Neuroectodermal Tumors; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal; Neoplasms by Histologic Type; Neoplasms; Neoplasms, Nerve Tissue; Nevi and Melanomas; Neoplasms by Site; Skin Diseases; Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Socioeconomic Factors; Population Characteristics

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: DIAGNOSTIC
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 7, 2021
• First Posted: October 21, 2021
• Study Start: July 10, 2021
• Primary Completion: November 20, 2021
• Study Completion: November 22, 2021
• Last Updated: March 16, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-03

Locations

DK (1)