Clinical Research Directory

Digital Microlearning and Patient Safety in Nursing Students

This randomized controlled study aims to evaluate the effect of a patient safety-focused digital microlearning program on nursing students before they begin surgical clinical practice. Nursing students often face challenges related to patient safety and clinical decision-making during the transition from classroom learning to clinical settings. This study will examine whether short, structured digital learning modules can improve patient safety awareness, recognition of clinical errors, and decision-making skills. Second-year undergraduate nursing students will be randomly assigned to either a digital microlearning intervention group or a control group receiving standard education. Outcomes will be measured before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and during the first week of clinical practice.

An AI Educational Agent for Medical Machine Learning Courses

The goal of this interventional study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a Large Language Model (LLM)-based educational AI Agent in graduate students (Masters and PhD) specializing in medicine or nursing who are enrolled in the "Machine Learning and Data Mining" course. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does the use of an educational AI Agent improve students' academic performance and practical skills in machine learning compared to traditional methods? Does the AI intervention enhance students' learning confidence, satisfaction, and cognitive engagement? Researchers will compare students currently using the AI Agent (experimental group) to a historical control group (students from the previous cohort who did not use the AI tool) to see if the AI-assisted learning model leads to significantly higher learning achievements and better educational experiences. Participants will: Utilize the Teaching Agent for real-time answers to theoretical questions, personalized study planning, and knowledge reinforcement. Engage with the Research Agent to assist with literature reviews, research design optimization, and academic writing structure. Use the Practice Innovation Agent for guidance on coding, algorithm debugging, and applying machine learning models to medical data analysis projects.

One-Minute Preceptor to Improve Bedside Teaching

Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment Model Description: Cluster-randomized by preceptor (30 clusters; 15 OMP/15 control). Outcomes at student level; 15 students per cluster. Adequate OMP exposure is defined a priori as ≥2 structured OMP feedback encounters (≥5 minutes each) delivered across ≥2 separate weeks of the rotation. Masking: Outcomes Assessor

An Automated Virtual Reality Intervention to Enhance Firearm Safety Counseling in Pediatrics

Clinicians will complete a screen-based automated virtual reality training intervention to learn how to counsel caregivers of pediatric patients on secure firearm storage.

Application of PDCA Cycle in Tracheal Intubation Training for Emergency Medicine Residents

Tracheal intubation is a critical but technically demanding procedure in emergency airway management. Junior emergency medicine residents often struggle to achieve proficiency, leading to increased risks of complications. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle-based training program in improving intubation skills. The study was conducted in the emergency department of a tertiary teaching hospital. Residents performing intubations in 2023 with conventional training served as the control group, while those trained with the PDCA model in 2024 formed the intervention group. The PDCA program included structured lectures, high-fidelity simulation, supervised clinical practice, and iterative feedback. Primary outcomes were first-attempt success rate and intubation completion time. Secondary outcomes included incidence of local airway trauma, extubation failure due to airway injury within 72 hours, and resident satisfaction. This study aims to provide evidence that PDCA-based training can enhance procedural competency, safety, and learner satisfaction in emergency airway management.

Simulation-Based Training for Epidural Analgesia Placement

Epidural analgesia is the gold standard for labor pain management, widely recommended by the WHO and included in Italy's essential levels of care (LEA) since 2017. Despite its clinical benefits and high maternal satisfaction, the procedure remains technically challenging, particularly for anesthesia residents. In our institution, around 40% of laboring women request epidural analgesia. Successful epidural placement requires mastering a complex skillset. Recent studies highlight that simulation-based training significantly enhances learning for novice practitioners. This single-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate whether a pre-rotation simulator-based training improves the success rate of epidural catheter placement among anesthesia residents. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group (simulation training plus anatomy lecture) or the control group (standard in vivo training only). The primary outcome is the number of successful catheter placements (defined as completed procedure without tutor intervention). Secondary outcomes include procedure time, complication rates, and satisfaction scores from the residents. The study will involve anesthesia residents in their 4th or 5th year rotating in the labor ward of the Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova. A sample size of 86 participants (43 per group) is required, and data collection will occur over three years.

Critical Appraisals at Play

Pre and Post assessment of knowledge and attitudes on critical appraisal of biomedical literature in Emergency Medicine practice in a cohort of residents with implementation of a competition based educational format.

Transfusion Camp for Medical Students in Rwanda

Transfusion medicine is closely linked with safe surgery. Transfusion Camp is a multidisciplinary educational project aimed at improving transfusion medicine knowledge in physicians. The course has been piloted in Rwanda, showing improvement in participant knowledge and confidence, resulting in its recommended implementation into the medical school curriculum. This project aims to evaluate a multi-day Transfusion Camp course mandatory for graduating medical students and first-year interns practicing in district hospitals in Rwanda. Its implementation is evaluated through pre- and post-course testing, collecting participants' blood ordering practices following the course, and conducting participant interviews about barriers to safe transfusion medicine in their hospital.

Ultrasound Training Program for Gynecologic Cancer Staging in Residents

This is a prospective, interventional study aiming to develop and validate an ultrasound training program for gynecology and obstetrics residents, focused on the staging of gynecologic cancers, including ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancer. The program consists of theoretical lectures, practical hands-on sessions, and supervised clinical case evaluations over a six-month period. Residents will perform ultrasound examinations independently, which will be compared to those conducted by expert sonographers. The primary objective is to assess the learning curve of each trainee by evaluating diagnostic concordance with expert findings across specific staging parameters.

Surgical Operating Room Enhancement Curriculum for Medical Students

The goal of this clinical trial is to assess whether integrating an enhanced Surgical Operating Room (OR) curriculum into the medical student program improves knowledge and proficiency in gynecologic surgical techniques and procedures among medical students at Wayne State University. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does the Surgical Operating Room Enrichment Course increase medical students' knowledge and comfort with gynecologic surgical procedures? Does participation in the course improve students' clinical perceptions and management of gynecologic emergencies? Researchers will compare students who participate in the Surgical Operating Room Enrichment Course (intervention group) to those who complete the standard rotation (control group) to see if the enhanced curriculum leads to greater improvements in knowledge and clinical skills. Participants will: Attend virtual didactic lectures covering gynecologic anatomy, perioperative care, surgical techniques, and management of gynecologic emergencies Complete pre- and post-training surveys assessing knowledge, skills, and perceptions related to gynecologic surgery This study involves approximately 60 medical students, with participation being voluntary and all responses de-identified.

Conversational AI Study

This is a prospective, collaborative, mixed-methods study which includes anesthesiology trainees receiving one active intervention - a conversational artificial intelligence (CAI) simulation. The goal is to explore the capability of AI to provide high-fidelity simulations that can ultimately improve how healthcare professionals handle difficult conversations such as disclosing medical errors or mistakes.

Online Ultrasound Curriculum on Learning Outcomes of Post-graduate Physicians

This single-center retrospective study evaluates the effectiveness of the Training Management System (TMS) ultrasound curriculum on the learning outcomes of PGY emergency physicians. By analyzing test scores and course participation data from 2018 to 2025, the study investigates whether blended learning improves PoCUS proficiency and explores its potential role in enhancing ultrasound education for junior physicians.

Analysis of the Effect of Pre-course Videos on Improving Clinical Skills in Emergency Ultrasound Training

Project Background Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) has become an important part of medical education in recent years. However, due to limited resources of ultrasound machines and clinical instructors, hands-on practice opportunities are limited, affecting the quality of teaching. Effectively imparting ultrasound operation skills has become a major challenge in improving training quality. This project aims to evaluate the impact of pre-class videos on enhancing ultrasound teaching effectiveness, particularly comparing videos shot with a first-person perspective (POV) to those shot with a face-to-face perspective. Project Objectives Primary Objective: To evaluate the impact of learning from pre-class videos on enhancing the effectiveness of ultrasound teaching. Secondary Objective: To investigate the effect of different filming techniques (POV versus face-to-face) on learning outcomes. Research Design The study will adopt a parallel research design, with subjects randomly assigned to one of three groups: the first-person perspective video group, the face-to-face perspective video group, and the control group (who will not watch any videos). Procedure on the Day of Instruction Complete a basic information and learning experience questionnaire. Conduct a pre-test practical, recording the operation of the ultrasound. Provide one-on-one instruction, offering detailed operational guidance. Conduct a post-test practical, allowing students to independently perform ultrasound-guided central venous catheter insertion. Complete a post-test questionnaire. Expected Outcomes This study anticipates that learning through pre-class videos will effectively enhance students' ultrasound operation skills and improve teaching quality. Teaching videos shot with a POV may provide a more realistic learning experience, thereby enhancing students' learning outcomes. By comparing different filming techniques, this project will provide empirical data that can inform future ultrasound teaching methods, ultimately improving the overall effectiveness of medical education.

Virtual Reality Training for Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Cholecystectomy is one the most frequent laparoscopic procedures worldwide. It is a safe and effective operation but intraoperative bile duct injury remains a relevant complication with serious consequences for the patient. Most of the complications occur due to a lack of knowledge of the anatomy or misidentification of the cystic duct. Thus, the study of the anatomy is a cornerstone of a successful procedure and the preoperative magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is a way to preoperatively determine relevant structures to avoid intraoperative incidents. This trial has been designed to assess the effect of preoperative virtual reality training based on MRCP on intraoperative performance and outcome.

Intervention for Medical Student to Promote Cervical Cancer Screening Among Latinx Transmasculine Individuals

The team aims to test the effectiveness of an intervention to increase gender-affirming cervical cancer prevention behaviors targeted at medical students studying in Puerto Rico and Florida. The team expects that after exposure to the intervention, relative to the control group, participants in the experimental condition will manifest more favorable changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of adequate care towards Latinx transmasculine and non-binary people.

The Application of Eye-Tracking Technology in Perioperative Management and Education

The goal of this observational study is to explore the value of eye-tracking technology in perioperative management and teaching. The study aims to understand how eye-tracking can help analyze the attention distribution of clinicians during perioperative procedures and optimize workflows for improved safety and teaching outcomes. The main questions it seeks to answer are: How does eye-tracking technology reveal the focus distribution patterns of experienced and novice clinicians in perioperative scenarios? Can visualizing expert clinicians' eye movement patterns improve the learning outcomes and operational skills of medical students? Participants include anesthesiologists and medical students involved in perioperative management training. Eye-tracking data, such as fixation duration, fixation count, and heatmaps, will be collected during surgical and training scenarios. The study will analyze correlations between attention distribution and operational performance. This research will provide insights into optimizing perioperative safety and revolutionizing medical education using objective attention data.

Study on the Medical Education Capability of the EyeTeacher Artificial Intelligence Platform

With the rise of generative artificial intelligence and large language models, medical education is undergoing a significant transformation. Numerous studies have highlighted the limitations of traditional educational knowledge acquisition and the potential impact of artificial intelligence on medical education, resident training, and continuing education for clinical practitioners. However, there is a lack of real-world experiments on the effectiveness of AI-integrated education. Artificial intelligence can provide extensive educational resources and tools that are not limited by geographical location or language, thereby lowering the barrier to accessing high-quality medical education and promoting educational equity. Nevertheless, the performance of AI models trained by different medical institutions or healthcare systems may vary. To offer a more universal, accessible, high-quality, and interconnected educational journey. We have developed a virtual ophthalmology teacher, which developed based on foundational model and large language models. This model, named EyeTeacher provide comprehensive theoretical knowledge and clinical skills enhancement for untrained medical students. To verify the effectiveness of our EyeTeacher across different national ophthalmology education systems and languages, we plan to implement a randomized controlled trial. This trial will assess the clinical capabilities of all participants and explore the advantages and disadvantages of the system compared to traditional teaching methods.

Optimizing OR Simulation in MEDI 045: Bias Reduction and Strategic Improvements (OPTIMIST)

This study explores the evolving landscape of operating room (OR) simulation by identifying key trends, addressing potential biases, and providing actionable recommendations for improvement. Using data-driven analysis, the research uncovers patterns in skill development and decision-making, offering insights into the effectiveness of current OR simulation programs. The study also tackles biases in data collection, including selection and response bias, ensuring the reliability of findings.

Virtual Reality Birth Simulator

The investigators compared an in-house developed virtual reality simulator for normal vaginal deliveries with a legacy mannequin-based simulation in a cluster randomised study involving Year 4 medical students undergoing their Ob/Gyn clerkship with aims to compare pre- and post-simulation knowledge questionnaire score. As part of a cross-over component, the investigators will also compare feedback scores for each modality and the preferred modality. Ethical approval and waiver of consent has been obtained from the National University of Singapore Institutional Review Board, Reference Number 2020-606.

Evaluating the Impact of an Integrative Oncology Training Program for Healthcare Providers

The goal of this study is to learn about the short- and long-term effects of two medical education approaches to teaching integrative oncology (IO) in a multi-disciplinary group of healthcare providers attending a national IO training. The main question it aims to answer is: Does active medical education approach focusing on IO-related skills is associated with better training outcomes compared to clerkship-based observation of IO clinics? Participants (trainees) will answer online survey questions about their knowledge, attitudes, and clinical proficiencies along the training process.

Evaluation of a Perceptual Learning Module on Spinal Ultrasound Among Residents.

This medical education research project aims to evaluate the impact of a directed perceptual learning module (PLM) on spinal sonoanatomy. Following a demographic questionnaire, participants will be exposed to a tutorial explaining the necessary theoretical foundations for the PLM as well as the functioning of the PLM interface. A pre-test involving selecting the best image from a video sequence depicting spinal sonoanatomy will be administered to all participants. Participants will then be randomized into two groups and exposed to video sequences in the same manner as during the pre-test, with immediate feedback in the intervention group and no feedback in the control group. The video sequences presented will be the same between the two groups. Finally, a post-test will be administered immediately and remotely after exposure to the PLM. The time window corresponding to the best image will be predefined by an expert and compared to the resident\'s value. The difference in feedback exposure between the two groups will not be revealed to limit biases.

Stylet Shape in Simulated Endotracheal Intubation by Medical Students

Endotracheal intubation is a life saving procedure where a tube is placed into a person's windpipe to help them to breathe. This is a study of which shape of tube would lead to improved success in this procedure.

Does Teaching Before or After Simulation Improve Learning?

The goal of the randomized educational intervention study is to test whether simulation preceding didactic teaching leads to improved knowledge and performance retention compared to a didactic lecture proceeding simulation for medical students Participants will be randomized to one of two different groups with reverse orders for simulation and lectures. Researchers will compare each group to see which way is better for learning.