Improving Search Strategy for Identifying Urgent Conditions on the Chest X-ray

Improving Search Strategy for Identifying Urgent Conditions on the Chest X-ray. (Original Title in French: Améliorer la stratégie de Recherche et l'Identification Des Conditions Urgentes Sur Une Radiographie Pulmonaire: Impact de l'Utilisation d'un Logiciel Interactif de Lecture systématique)

Currently, teaching X-ray interpretation to medical students is not standardized, and is generally not very effective.

Objective: The goal of our study is to evaluate whether directly teaching an expert search strategy for x-ray interpretation to 3d year medical students is effective.

Methods:

• An expert's visual search strategy was recorded using a gaze-tracking device. The search strategy was then reproduced using a dynamic cursor moving across the corresponding chest x-ray, and incorporated into a teaching program accessible via the internet.
• Participants are 3rd year medical students who will be randomized into two groups. The experimental group will have access to the teaching program as described. The control group will have access to the same x-rays but not the expert's search strategy.
• At the end of the study period the investigators will collect performance data (the participants' accuracy at reading a series of chest x-rays) and process data (using gaze-tracking to evaluate the participants' search strategies); the experimental and control groups will be compared.

Expected results:

The investigators expect the group trained in expert search strategy to show improved accuracy at reading chest x-rays, and an improvement in their visual search strategy

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Using Expert Visual Search Strategy to Train Students to Read the Chest X-ray
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: training in visual search strategy; Other: access to a library of chest x-rays without search strategy

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 40
• Phase: Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Quebec
    • Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H1T 2M4
      • Recruiting
      • Hopital Maisonneuve-Rosemont
      • Contact: George Rakovich, MD; Phone Number: 4558 514-252-3400; Email: george.rakovich@umontreal.ca

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 3rd year medical students enrolled in medicine or surgery rotations during the planned study period

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: trained visual search strategy; An expert's visual search strategy for reading the chest x-ray was recorded using a gaze tracking device. This strategy was reproduced using a dynamic cursor and will be made available to participants in the experimental group using an interactive website.	Other: training in visual search strategy
Active Comparator: not trained in visual search strategy; Participants will learn to read chest x-rays by having access to a library of chest x-rays identical to the one used by the experimental arm, but without the search strategy.	Other: access to a library of chest x-rays without search strategy

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Improvement in medical student's visual search strategy at reading a chest x-ray	participants enrolled in the experimental group will be trained to learn the expert's search strategy for reading a chest x-ray. We hypothesize that by the end of the study period they will show an improved visual search strategy over students who were not trained in visual search but were taught through standard methods (interaction with clinician-educators during their clerkship rotations)	2 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Université de Montréal

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: June 1, 2013
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): July 1, 2013
• Study Completion (Anticipated): August 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 18, 2013
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 20, 2013
• First Posted (Estimate): June 21, 2013

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): June 21, 2013
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 20, 2013
• Last Verified: June 1, 2013

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: visual search strategy, training, chest x-ray
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Disease
• Other Study ID Numbers: CPER-11-120-D(1)