Whole-task Hybrid Simulation Improves Medical Student Competence in Cardiology Clerkship

NCT05895799 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: AE280780
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 77
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this randomized controlled waitlist trial is to assess the utility of expert tuition with hybrid simulation and repeated peer grading on medical student learning and performance in cardiology long-case examinations. The primary aim of this research is to assess the effects of time, individual teaching with an expert trainer, and repeated peer assessment on students' performance scores in sequential formative long-case examinations in cardiology. The secondary aims are: (a) to assess to what degree performance scores change over time with respect to the intervention group, and (b) to assess for any change in the level of inter-observer variability over time. Participants will be randomized into two groups and undertake three formative long-case examinations in cardiology with a hybrid patient. Each group will have tuition from an expert trainer in a randomized controlled waitlist design. The investigators will compare groups to see if the tuition from a clinical expert has an effect on participants' performance.

Conditions

Valvular Heart Disease

Keywords

Hybrid simulation; Cardiology clerkship; Peer assessment; Whole-task learning; Standardized patient; Wearable technology

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Students' total scores in sequential cardiology long case examinations

  To assess the effects of time, individual teaching with an expert trainer, and repeated peer assessment on students' performance scores in sequential formative long case examinations in cardiology. Students will undertake three long case examinations. Each participant's total score in each examination will be compared across time.

  Within 6 months of study completion

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Students' total scores categorized by intervention group in sequential cardiology long case examinations

  Within 6 months of study completion

• Variability in students' performance scores in sequential cardiology long case examinations as assessed by peer and faculty graders

  Within 6 months of study completion

Study Arms (2)

Clinical teaching from an expert after LC1

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Medical students who had early intervention, i.e. teaching from an expert trainer, in the randomized controlled waitlist design.

Other: Tuition from a expert clinical trainer

Clinical teaching from an expert after LC2

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Medical students who had a late intervention, i.e. teaching from an expert trainer, in the randomized controlled waitlist design.

Other: Tuition from a expert clinical trainer

Interventions

Tuition from a expert clinical trainer OTHER

Each group was initially provided with an online tutorial on the complete physical examination of the cardiovascular system as performed on a standardized patient by the trainer. At the beginning of each session, the trainer performed the examination on a hybrid patient wearing the auscultation vest and provided additional teaching, explanations, and rationale. Following the demonstration, each participant was invited to perform repeated physical examinations in front of their peers with real-time one-to-one feedback from the trainer. After each performance, the participant was encouraged to critique their own performance(s), peers were invited to provide some insights, and the trainer gave some overall feedback. At the end of the session and after each participant had had the opportunity to perform the complete examination at least once, the participants were taken through a range of abnormal signs using the auscultation vest with explanations provided by the trainer.

Clinical teaching from an expert after LC1; Clinical teaching from an expert after LC2

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• were in either Year 2 of the Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) program (equivalent to Year 3/5 of the Direct Entry Medical Degree Programme), or Year 1 of the Senior Cycle, i.e., Year 4/5 of the Direct Entry Medical Degree Programme, having completed Year 2 of the GEM program in the preceding year; and
• had successfully completed the standard RCSI module in Clinical Cardiology.

You may not qualify if:

• None

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland: lead
• Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

Dublin, D02 YN77, Ireland

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Daly M, Mulhall C, O'Neill J, Eppich W, Shpigelman J, Cahir C, Fraughen D, McElduff E, Uhomoibhi C, Condron C. Effectiveness of hybrid simulation training on medical student performance in whole-task consultation of cardiac patients: The ASSIMILATE EXCELLENCE randomized waitlist-controlled trial. Adv Simul (Lond). 2024 Oct 1;9(1):40. doi: 10.1186/s41077-024-00314-2.

  PMID: 39354536 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Heart Valve Diseases

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Heart Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases

Study Officials

• Claire Condron, PhD

  RCSI

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Randomized controlled waitlist design

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 18, 2023
• First Posted: June 9, 2023
• Study Start: January 1, 2021
• Primary Completion: November 30, 2021
• Study Completion: June 6, 2022
• Last Updated: June 9, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

IE (1)