An interventional study of Case vignette-based teaching of cell recognition and Compare-contrast basic science teaching of cell recognition in Hematologic Diseases, sponsored by The Reading Hospital and Medical Center. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 26 Years to 40 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-03-29.
Sponsored by The Reading Hospital and Medical Center · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science
This is a prospective, randomized controlled, crossover trial comparing the effectiveness one two curricular designs to teaching peripheral blood smears to residents.
General Approach:
This study will employ a randomized, controlled design and will use as its outcomes two separate post-tests, one after the first teaching session and one 4 weeks after the second intervention.
Design The investigators are attempting to find whether the combination of basic science education using an 1-hour additive microskills- building method along with compare/ contrast model versus a 1-hour traditional case-based format would improve performance on a visual recognition test of hematology questions. A final test at 4 weeks after the cross-over between the two groups will also help investigators analyze whether the order of exposure to the teaching method would have an impact on the final performance.
Sampling, including sample size and statistical power:
Sample size will be between 40-50 resident physicians meeting inclusion criteria for the study. There is not enough data in the literature to effectively determine power, so we will use a convenience sample of the largest feasible group (around 40).
Collection of data:
Data will be collected on an excel spreadsheet and will be permanently de-identified on that spreadsheet; it will be kept on a password-protected site.
Information management and analysis software:
Data will be entered into a password protected excel spreadsheet and each study participant will be assigned a unique identifier code which will be used to link the data. Statistical analysis will be performed using SPSS version 20.
Data entry, editing and management, including handling of data collection forms, different versions of data, and data storage and disposition:
Paper surveys and tests will be collected, recorded and locked; they will be destroyed 2 years after termination of the study. A paired t-test will be used to compare the two samples means for significance.
Quality Control / Assurance:
Pretest and post-tests will be checked against a gold standard, a hospital board-certified hematopathologist, to check the quality of the slides.
Bias in data collection, measurement and analysis:
Given the small numbers of participants expected, a Type 1 error (failure to detect a difference in groups when one exists) is possible, as the study will possibly be underpowered.
609 studies on the registry are indexed under Hematologic Diseases; 108 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 30 is below the median of 50 across 410 interventional studies indexed under Hematologic Diseases.
Browse Hematologic Diseases studies →The Reading Hospital and Medical Center is the lead sponsor of 9 studies on the registry; 2 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Group 1 will receive 1 hour of compare-contrast basic science teaching of cell recognition to enhance recognition of those photographs, followed by 1 hour Case vignette-based teaching of cell recognition 2 weeks later
Other: Case vignette-based teaching of cell recognition · Other: Compare-contrast basic science teaching of cell recognition
Group 2 will receive 1 hour of Case vignette-based teaching of cell recognition followed by compare-contrast basic science teaching of cell recognition 2 weeks later
Other: Case vignette-based teaching of cell recognition · Other: Compare-contrast basic science teaching of cell recognition
Intervention group members will be taught peripheral blood smears by using power point slides and utilizing additive microskills using the compare/ contrast technique to recognize various cell types. Memory will be reinforced by using cases to help recognize the clinical importance of learning about individual cell types.
The control group will be given a traditional 60-minute lecture using board review questions with accompanying pictures of peripheral blood smears, without explaining individual cell type.
Improvement in post test scores at 2 and 4 weeks after education
Primary outcome was an improvement in test score from pre-test to 2 and 4-week post-test. All participants took a 15-question pretest in addition to a posttest at 2 and 4 weeks. Each test consisted of pictures of various cell types from the peripheral blood.
Time frame: 4 weeks
The record gives a start of Apr 2012, a primary completion of Jun 2012 and a completion of Feb 2013. It does not say whether these dates are actual or estimated.
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This study is completed, as verified in Mar 2023. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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