This study will investigate factors surrounding use and application of scientific literature in patient-provider interactions and will examine facets of the patient-provider interaction itself as studied in a virtual encounter using virtual reality.
Healthy third- or fourth-year medical students or first-year medical interns in internal medicine and family practice specialties may be eligible for this study. Participants are recruited from the Washington, D.C., area.
Study subjects perform two tasks and complete two sets of questions. The first task involves reading scientific content on a health topic of public interest and explaining the article as if to a patient. The second task involves interacting with a virtual patient in a virtual environment clinical scenario. While in the virtual environment, the subject wears a head-mounted video unit that allows him or her to see elements of the environment. The activities in the virtual environment take about 15 minutes. The total time for the study is about 60 minutes.
...
Primary Outcome Measures:
- Self-reported clinical recommendations, thoughts about patients, and experiences in the virtual clinic. Direct
measures of verbal and clinical behavior.
| Estimated Enrollment: |
250 |
| Study Start Date: |
April 2008 |
| Estimated Study Completion Date: |
April 2011 |
| Estimated Primary Completion Date: |
April 2011 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure) |
Intervention Details:
Behavioral: Administration of information
N/A
This study will investigate issues around how physician trainees understand and convey various types of health-related information to patients and how they interact with patients of varying health histories.
Participants will complete tasks that include reading and distilling a scientific review of a health-related topic, and participating in a virtual reality clinic simulation. As part of the study, participants will wear a virtual reality helmet and be immersed in a clinic where they will interact with a virtual patient. Participants will also complete questionnaires describing their experiences. For this study, we are recruiting only medical students in their third or fourth years and first-year medical interns in internal medicine or family practice specialties.
Purpose
