A Comparison Between Physical and Virtual Simulation: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Interdisciplinary Communication Clinical Trial

Official title:

Nurse-Physician Communication Team Training in Virtual Reality Versus Live Simulations: Randomized Controlled Study

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04330924
• Other study ID #: S-17-107
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: July 1, 2018
• Est. completion date: December 31, 2019

Study information

• Verified date: April 2020
• Source: National University, Singapore
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Nurse-physician communication skills can be improve through inter-professional team training. Simulation is often used to conduct these training. However, constraints to conduct these sessions such as scheduling and logistic arrangements have been widely reported. Thus with the advancement of technology in education, the use of virtual environment to conduct the team training is being explored and evaluated.

Description:

All recruited participants underwent a 3-hour nurse-physician communication training prior to the simulation session. Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) curriculum and pre-learning videos were introduced to the participants. Pre-test questionnaires were administered after the training. Participants were then randomized to the control (live simulation) or intervention group (virtual simulation).

Intervention group participants will undergo a virtual simulation session training via the multi-user virtual world by logging in into the 3D virtual environment while participants in the control group performed the simulations in a physical simulated ward setting. Each pair of 1 medical student and 1 nursing student participate in two role-playing simulation scenarios (15-20 minutes each) along with a facilitator who will provide a debrief (30-minutes). Prior to the simulation, participants were given a smart-watch to monitor their physiological parameters such as heart rate. Post-test questionnaires were administered after the simulation sessions.

After the simulation training, a 30-minutes team-based assessments were conducted based on a inter-professional bedside care scenario in pairs of one medical and one nursing student within their randomized group. The assessments were video recorded for evaluation by assessors who are blinded to the groupings. All participants were then invited to complete a follow-up questionnaire 2 months after the simulation training.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 120
• Est. completion date: December 31, 2019
• Est. primary completion date: December 31, 2019
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

i) Full time students undertaking National University of Singapore's

• Third or fourth year Bachelor of Science (Nursing)

• Third or fourth year Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery

ii) Completed acute care management modules

Exclusion Criteria:

i) Does not voluntarily agree to join the study

ii) Does not want their performance to be video-recorded

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Interdisciplinary Communication

Intervention

Other:
• Create Real-life Experience And Teamwork In Virtual Environment (CREATIVE)
3D virtual hospital environment where participants can perform physical and social interaction and presence using avatars.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Singapore	National University of Singapore	Singapore

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
National University, Singapore

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Singapore, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Demographics	Collection of participant demographic data.	Baseline
Primary	Communication skill performance	Participants nurse-doctor communication skill was measured using a validated team communication scale that was self-developed. It is a 7-item checklist with a 5-point scale. The score ranges from 5 to 35 with higher score indicating better nurse-doctor communication performance.	Post-test (immediately after simulation assessment)
Primary	Baseline (Attitudes Toward Interprofessional Health Care Team)	Measurement of participants' attitudes towards working in interprofessional care team using the 14-item Attitudes Toward Interprofessional Health Care Team questionnaire using a 5-point scale. The scores ranges from 14 to 70 with higher score indicating more positive attitudes.	Pre-test
Primary	Post-test (Change of Attitudes Toward Interprofessional Health Care Team from baseline)	Measurement of participants' attitudes towards working in interprofessional care team using the 14-item Attitudes Toward Interprofessional Health Care Team questionnaire using a 5-point scale. The scores ranges from 14 to 70 with higher score indicating more positive attitudes.	Post-test (immediately after simulation training)
Primary	Follow-up (Change of Attitudes Toward Interprofessional Health Care Team from baseline and post-test)	Measurement of participants attitudes towards working in interprofessional care team using the 14-item Attitudes Toward Interprofessional Health Care Team questionnaire using a 5-point scale. The scores ranges from 14 to 70 with higher score indicating more positive attitudes.	Follow-up (2-months after simulation training)
Primary	Baseline (Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale)	Measurement of participants behaviors, beliefs and attitudes in interprofessional socialization using the 24-item Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale questionnaire using a 7-point scale (1= not at all ; 7= to a very great extent; "not applicable" response is also available). The score ranges from 24 to 168 with higher score indicating greater presence of the attributes measured.	Pre-test
Primary	Post-test (Change of Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale from baseline)	Measurement of participants behaviors, beliefs and attitudes in interprofessional socialization using the 24-item Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale questionnaire using a 7-point scale (1= not at all ; 7= to a very great extent; "not applicable" response is also available). The score ranges from 24 to 168 with higher score indicating greater presence of the attributes measured.	Post-test (immediately after simulation training)
Primary	Follow-up (Change of Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale from baseline and post-test)	Measurement of participants behaviors, beliefs and attitudes in interprofessional socialization using the 24-item Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale questionnaire using a 7-point scale (1= not at all ; 7= to a very great extent; "not applicable" response is also available). The score ranges from 24 to 168 with higher score indicating greater presence of the attributes measured.	Follow-up (2-months after simulation training)
Primary	Pulse rate	Stress measurement parameter using a continuous monitoring smart watch	Pre-test
Primary	Pulse rate (Change of parameter from baseline)	Stress measurement parameter using a continuous monitoring smart watch	Post-test (immediately after simulation training)
Primary	Blood pressure (diastolic & systolic)	Stress measurement parameter using a sphygmomanometer	Pre-test
Primary	Blood pressure (diastolic & systolic) (Change of parameter from baseline)	Stress measurement parameter using a sphygmomanometer	Post-test (immediately after simulation training)
Primary	Baseline (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory)	Measurement of participants state anxiety were measured using the 20-items State-Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaire using a 4 point likert scale (almost never-almost always). The score ranges from 20 to 80 with higher score indicating higher sense of anxiety.	Pre-test
Primary	Post-test (Change of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory from baseline)	Measurement of participants state anxiety were measured using the 20-items State-Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaire using a 4 point likert scale (almost never-almost always). The score ranges from 20 to 80 with higher score indicating higher sense of anxiety.	Post-test (immediately after simulation training)
Primary	Baseline (Confidence and self-efficacy)	Measurement of participants confidence and self-efficacy was measured using a 5-items self-efficacy questionnaire through a 10-point likert scale ranging from scores ranging from 5 to 50 with higher score indicating better self-efficacy in their ability in contributing to patient-centered care in a multidisciplinary team.	Pre-test
Primary	Post-test (Change of Confidence and self-efficacy from baseline)	Measurement of participants confidence and self-efficacy was measured using a 5-items self-efficacy questionnaire through a 10-point likert scale ranging from scores ranging from 5 to 50 with higher score indicating better self-efficacy in their ability in contributing to patient-centered care in a multidisciplinary team.	Post-test (immediately after simulation training)
Primary	Baseline (Student Stereotype Rating)	Measurement of participants stereotype towards other health disciplines was measured using the 9-items Student Stereotype Rating Questionnaire through a 5-point Likert scale (1=very low to 5= very high).; The score ranges from 9 to 45 with higher scores indicating higher perceived ability of the particular healthcare discipline by the other discipline.	Pre-test
Primary	Post test (Change of Student Stereotype Rating from baseline)	Measurement of participants stereotype towards other health disciplines was measured using the 9-items Student Stereotype Rating Questionnaire through a 5-point Likert scale (1=very low to 5= very high). The score ranges from 9 to 45 with higher scores indicating higher perceived ability of the particular healthcare discipline by the other discipline.	Post-test (immediately after simulation training)
Primary	Follow up (Change of Student Stereotype Rating from baseline and post test)	Measurement of participants stereotype towards other health disciplines was measured using the 9-items Student Stereotype Rating Questionnaire through a 5-point Likert scale (1=very low to 5= very high). The score ranges from 9 to 45 with higher scores indicating higher perceived ability of the particular healthcare discipline by the other discipline.	Follow-up (2-months after simulation training)