VR-Live Hybrid Neurosurgery Clerkship:Boosting Neurosurgical Presence & Decisions

NCT07304570 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: WestChinaH-HX-2025-03
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 112
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this randomized controlled trial was to learn whether a hybrid telemedicine curriculum that combines virtual-reality (VR) simulation with interactive live-streamed neurosurgical cases improves neurosurgical intentionality and clinical decision-making in fourth-year medical students whose clerkships were disrupted by COVID-19. It also assessed technical skills, theoretical knowledge, and student experience. The main questions it aimed to answer were: Does the 4-week hybrid model (VR + live cases) produce greater gains in neurosurgical intentionality and decision-making than traditional online videos and readings? Does the hybrid model improve VR technical skill performance and student satisfaction without harming theoretical knowledge? Researchers randomized 112 students 1:1 to the hybrid intervention (15 h VR neuroanatomy/procedures + 20 h live-streamed surgeries/ICU rounds + real-time Q\&A) or a time-matched control group (pre-recorded videos, textbook readings, asynchronous forums). Participants in both groups: Completed 40 hours of remote content over 4 weeks Were tested at baseline and post-course on intentionality (modified Zwisch scale), decision-making (neurosurgery-specific SCT), 50-item MCQ knowledge, and VR proficiency metrics Joined focus groups and rated satisfaction on a 5-point Likert scale

Conditions

Virtual Reality; Telemedicine

Keywords

Neurosurgical education; live-streaming; clerkship training

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Neurosurgical Intentionality

  Neurosurgical Intentionality: Intervention group post-intervention scores were compared with controls, the higer the score, the better the outcome

  4 weeks

• Clinical decision-making score

  Clinical Decision-Making Score Range: 24-120 points (5-point Likert, 24 items) Levels: 24-48 = low 49-84 = moderate 85-120 = high The higher the score, the better the outcome

  4 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Theoretical Knowledge

  4 weeks

• Technical Skill Performance score

  4 weeks

• Student experience score

  4 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Intervention Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Other: VR Simulation (15 hours)+Live-Streamed Neurosurgical Procedures (20 hours)+Live-Streamed Neurocritical Care Rounds (5 hours)

Control group

NO INTERVENTION

* Pre-recorded neurosurgical videos (20 hours): Matched case types from the Neurosurgical Education and Training Resource (NETR) library, with voiceover but no interactivity. * Textbook/journal readings (15 hours): Chapters from Neurosurgery: The Essential Guide and articles from Journal of Neurosurgical Education (aligned with case content). * Asynchronous case discussions (5 hours): Text-based forums on the institution's LMS, moderated by faculty (48-hour response window).

Interventions

VR Simulation (15 hours)+Live-Streamed Neurosurgical Procedures (20 hours)+Live-Streamed Neurocritical Care Rounds (5 hours) OTHER

1. VR Simulation (15 hours): Customized modules on the NeuroVR Platform (validated for neurosurgical education): * Neuroanatomy (5 hours): 3D interactive models of cerebral cortex, brainstem, cranial nerves, and spinal cord (with vascular/meningeal overlays). * Procedural skills (10 hours): Craniotomy basics, ventriculostomy, lumbar puncture, and spine decompression-with real-time feedback on instrument handling and anatomical precision. 2. Live-Streamed Neurosurgical Procedures (20 hours): 18 diverse cases (brain tumor resection \[n=6\], spine fusion \[n=5\], aneurysm clipping \[n=3\], epilepsy surgery \[n=4\]) via HIPAA-compliant Zoom for Healthcare. Each session included: * Pre-procedure briefing (anatomical landmarks, surgical goals). * Intraoperative expert commentary (neurosurgeon + neuroanesthesiologist). * Real-time Q\&A (focused on neurocritical decision-making: e.g., "How do you adjust resection for eloquent cortex mapping?"). 3. Live-Streamed Neurocritical Care Rounds (5 hours): Week

Intervention Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Fourth-year medical students assigned to the neurosurgical clerkship rotation
• Able to participate fully in remote learning (stable internet and VR-headset compatible computer)
• Provided written informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Had already completed a prior neurosurgical elective
• Lacked reliable internet access or hardware required for VR/live-streaming
• Declined to consent or unable to complete the 4-week curriculum

Sponsors & Collaborators

• West China Hospital: lead

Study Sites (1)

West China Hospital

Chengdu, Sichuan, China

Location

Study Design

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

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 2, 2025
• First Posted: December 26, 2025
• Study Start: March 1, 2023
• Primary Completion: April 30, 2024
• Study Completion: December 1, 2024
• Last Updated: December 26, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, ICF

Locations

CN (1)