Guérard-Poirier Natasha, Beniey Michèle, Meloche-Dumas Léamarie, Lebel-Guay Florence, Misheva Bojana, Abbas Myriam, Dhane Malek, Elraheb Myriam, Dubrowski Adam, Patocskai Erica
Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Department of General Surgery, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
JMIR Res Protoc. 2020 Dec 14;9(12):e21273. doi: 10.2196/21273.
Traditionally, medical students have learned surgical skills by observing a resident physician or surgeon who is performing the technique. Due to inconsistent practice opportunities in the clinical setting, a disparity of skill levels among students has been observed. In addition, the poor availability of faculty professors is a limiting factor in teaching and adequately preparing medical students for their clerkship years. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, medical students do not have access to traditional suturing learning opportunities. Didactic courses are available on videoconferencing platforms; however, these courses do not include technical training.
Our overarching goal is to evaluate the efficacy and usability of web-based peer-learning for advanced suturing techniques (ie, running subcuticular sutures). We will use the Gamified Educational Network (GEN), a newly developed web-based learning tool. We will assess students' ability to identify and perform the correct technique. We will also assess the students' satisfaction with regard to GEN.
We will conduct a prospective randomized controlled trial with blinding of expert examiners. First-year medical students in the Faculty of Medicine of Université de Montréal will be randomized into four groups: (1) control, (2) self-learning, (3) peer-learning, and (4) peer-learning with expert feedback. Each arm will have 15 participants who will learn how to perform running subcuticular sutures through videos on GEN. For our primary outcome, the students' ability to identify the correct technique will be evaluated before and after the intervention on GEN. The students will view eight videos and rate the surgical techniques using the Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills Global Rating Scale and the Subcuticular Suture Checklist as evaluation criteria. For our secondary outcomes, students will anonymously record themselves performing a running subcuticular suture and will be evaluated using the same scales. Then, a survey will be sent to assess the students' acceptance of the intervention.
The study will be conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and has been approved by our institutional review board (CERSES 20-068-D). No participants have been recruited yet.
Peer learning through GEN has the potential to overcome significant limitations related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the lack of availability of faculty professors. Further, a decrease of the anxiety related to traditional suturing classes can be expected. We aim to create an innovative and sustainable method of teaching surgical skills to improve the efficiency and quality of surgical training in medical faculties. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for such tools is imperative.
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04425499; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04425499.
INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/21273.
传统上，医学生通过观察正在进行某项技术操作的住院医师或外科医生来学习外科技能。由于临床环境中实践机会不一致，已观察到学生之间技能水平存在差异。此外，教师教授的可获得性差是教学以及让医学生为实习年做好充分准备的一个限制因素。在新冠疫情持续期间，医学生无法获得传统的缝合学习机会。视频会议平台上有讲授课程；然而，这些课程不包括技术培训。
我们的总体目标是评估基于网络的同伴学习对于高级缝合技术（即连续皮下缝合）的有效性和可用性。我们将使用新开发的基于网络的学习工具“游戏化教育网络”（GEN）。我们将评估学生识别并执行正确技术的能力。我们还将评估学生对GEN的满意度。
我们将进行一项前瞻性随机对照试验，专家考官设盲。蒙特利尔大学医学院的一年级医学生将被随机分为四组：（1）对照组，（2）自主学习组，（3）同伴学习组，以及（4）有专家反馈的同伴学习组。每组将有15名参与者，他们将通过GEN上的视频学习如何进行连续皮下缝合。对于我们的主要结果，将在干预GEN前后评估学生识别正确技术的能力。学生将观看八个视频，并使用客观结构化技术技能全球评分量表和皮下缝合检查表作为评估标准对手术技术进行评分。对于我们的次要结果，学生将匿名录制自己进行连续皮下缝合的过程，并使用相同的量表进行评估。然后，将发送一份调查问卷以评估学生对干预的接受程度。
本研究将按照《赫尔辛基宣言》进行，并已获得我们机构审查委员会（CERSES 20 - 068 - D）的批准。尚未招募任何参与者。
通过GEN进行同伴学习有可能克服与新冠疫情以及教师教授可获得性不足相关的重大限制。此外，可以预期与传统缝合课程相关的焦虑会减少。我们旨在创建一种创新且可持续的外科技能教学方法，以提高医学院校外科培训的效率和质量。在新冠疫情背景下，迫切需要此类工具。
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04425499；https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04425499。
国际注册报告标识符（IRRID）：PRR1 - 10.2196/21273。
