Enhancing Respiratory Auscultation Skills Among Medical Students: Digital Stethoscopes in Medical Education

NCT06359158 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: eStethoscope for Med Student
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 84
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Objectives: This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a novel digital stethoscope curriculum integrated into respiratory auscultation training for medical students. It seeks to compare the auscultation proficiency gained through this innovative approach with that from traditional teaching methods, to understand the potential of digital stethoscopes in reinvigorating clinical skills training. Methods: In a single-center, controlled, longitudinal, randomized experimental design, 84 medical students undergoing clinical clerkship rotations at Chung Shan Medical University Hospital were enrolled. Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group, receiving training with digital stethoscopes and the Eko auscultation software, or the control group, following a traditional curriculum. Pre- and post-intervention assessments measured auscultation skills, and student feedback on teaching quality was collected. The primary outcome was the improvement in auscultation proficiency, while secondary outcomes included student engagement and feedback on the educational approach. Expected Results: The investigators hypothesize that the integration of digital stethoscopes into the curriculum will significantly improve the auscultation skills of medical students compared to traditional methods. Enhanced engagement and positive feedback from students are anticipated, underscoring the pedagogical value of incorporating digital health technologies in medical education.

Conditions

Auscultation; Breathing Sound; Asthma; Pneumonia; Pleural Effusion

Keywords

Medical Education; Auscultation Pedagogy; Digital Stethoscope; Clinical Skills Training

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Pre-test and Post-test using the Zuvio Interactive Response System (Zuvio, Taipei, Taiwan)

  The Zuvio Interactive Response System evaluates participants' auscultation skills through a question bank of 50 breath sound audio files.

  At the beginning and end of the two-week Thoracic Surgery clinical rotation.

• Student Feedback

  Helpfulness of the course: Student feedback on teaching quality and course helpfulness was collected through surveys using 5-point Likert scales.

  End of the two-week Thoracic Surgery clinical rotation.

Study Arms (2)

Digital stethoscope use

EXPERIMENTAL

The intervention comprises a comprehensive curriculum titled "Respiratory Auscultation with Digital Stethoscopes," designed to enhance the proficiency of medical students in diagnosing respiratory disorders through auscultation. The curriculum utilizes advanced digital stethoscope technology, specifically electronic digital stethoscopes, and the Eko auscultation software platform, to facilitate the visualization and analysis of recorded breath sounds, thereby augmenting traditional auscultation training methods.

Device: Digital stethoscope use

Traditional stethoscope use

NO INTERVENTION

The curriculum utilizes a traditional stethoscope.

Interventions

Digital stethoscope use DEVICE

In this interventional study, 84 medical students were randomly allocated to an intervention group utilizing a novel digital stethoscope curriculum or a control group receiving traditional instruction. The intervention leveraged digital stethoscopes, enabling visualization and analysis of recorded breath sounds. Pre- and post-assessments evaluated respiratory

Also known as: video, Pre- and Post- test, Questionnaire on student feedback

Digital stethoscope use

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 21 Years - 30 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Medical students who were completing their clinical clerkship rotations in the Department of Thoracic Surgery during the study period.

You may not qualify if:

• All medical students who did not complete the clinical clerkship rotations, the pre- and post-tests, and the course feedback questionnaire.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Chung Shan Medical University: lead
• Ministry of Education, Taiwan: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Chung Shan Medical University Hospital

Taichung, South, 402, Taiwan

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Respiratory Sounds; Asthma; Pneumonia; Pleural Effusion

Interventions

Evaluation Studies as Topic

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Signs and Symptoms, Respiratory; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Bronchial Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Lung Diseases, Obstructive; Lung Diseases; Respiratory Hypersensitivity; Hypersensitivity, Immediate; Hypersensitivity; Immune System Diseases; Respiratory Tract Infections; Infections; Pleural Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Investigative Techniques; Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms; Quality of Health Care; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation

Study Officials

• Frank CF Lin, MD, PhD

  Chung Shan Medical University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: DIAGNOSTIC
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Attending Physician

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 23, 2024
• First Posted: April 11, 2024
• Study Start: August 1, 2023
• Primary Completion: January 31, 2024
• Study Completion: January 31, 2024
• Last Updated: April 11, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-04

Locations

TW (1)