Effectiveness of a Computer Application in Improving Pulmonary Artery Catheter Waveform Interpretation

May 29, 2014 updated by: Jaime Chang, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital

Effectiveness of a Web-Based Computer Application in Improving Pulmonary Artery Catheter Waveform Interpretation Among Nurses and Physicians

Skill with pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) waveform interpretation is inadequate among physicians and nurses. We, the investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital, have developed a web-based computer program to assist physicians and nurses in PAC waveform interpretation. We will study the effectiveness of this program on improving the interpretation of waveforms on a computer-based test.

Study Overview

Status

Terminated

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) guides diagnosis and treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU), but studies have shown that physicians and nurses collectively have inadequate skill in interpreting PAC waveforms. We have developed a Web-based application that provides physicians and nurses with rapid access to relevant PAC-related content for use in patient care situations. The application begins with a visual index that assists clinicians in the recognition of both normal and abnormal waveforms and provides waveform-specific links to concise advice on making accurate pressure measurements, troubleshooting system problems, and avoiding complications of catheter use. Initial evaluation will consist of a before-and-after trial to determine whether the application improves test performance in the areas of waveform recognition, accuracy of measurement, and appropriateness of action. Once the resource is in production, we will electronically log usage and survey users to evaluate the extent and effect of actual utilization.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

55

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02114
        • Massachusetts General Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Critical care nurses
  • House officers rotating through the medical Intensive Care Unit
  • Fellows rotating through the medical Intensive Care Unit

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Web-based waveform interpretation guide
The arm has access to the Web-based waveform interpretation guide.
Device: Web-based waveform interpretation guide
Use of an educational website.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Score on a Computer-based Test on Pulmonary Artery Catheter Waveform Interpretation
Time Frame: 1 month
The study was terminated before the primary outcome could be measured. None of the participants took the post-intervention test.
1 month

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Individual and Collective Frequency of Use and Usage Patterns of the Web-based Waveform Interpretation Guide
Time Frame: 1 year
The study was terminated before the secondary outcome could be measured. Usage data was not collected over the following year.
1 year

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Massachusetts General Hospital

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Octo Barnett, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital/Laboratory of Computer Science

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

December 1, 2005

Primary Completion (Actual)

April 1, 2012

Study Completion (Actual)

April 1, 2012

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 26, 2005

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 29, 2005

First Posted (Estimate)

August 30, 2005

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

June 30, 2014

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 29, 2014

Last Verified

May 1, 2014

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2005-P-001381/1; MGH

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Subscribe