Medical Improvisation Study

Enhancing Communication and Cognitive Resilience in Surgical Trainees Through Medical Improvisation

This study offers improvisation training for otolaryngology residents to see if there is any impact on connection, stress, and mood. A control group of otolaryngology residents continues their standard medical education with no improvisation.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Psychosocial Problem
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Group Online Improvisation Training; Other: Standard Medical Education

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 10
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • San Francisco, California, United States, 94143
      • UCSF

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Otolaryngology Resident at UCSF

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Improvisation Group; Otolaryngology Residents taking Improvisation Training	Behavioral: Group Online Improvisation Training; 3 Online Group Improvisation Training classes led by a professional is offered every other week for 1 hour to the experimental cohort.
Active Comparator: Control Group; This control group of OHNS residents continues their standard medical education.	Other: Standard Medical Education; OHNS residents continue the existing standard medical education.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Connection: Social Connectiveness Scale	Team dynamics and interpersonal connectedness are assessed using the Social Connectedness Scale. This is a custom survey developed specifically for this study to measure participants' sense of belonging and connection within the residency program. The scale consists of 5 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Total scores range from 0 to 25, with higher scores indicating a greater sense of connectedness (better outcome).	6 weeks
Clinical Decision Making Accuracy and Response Time	Clinical decision-making under pressure is assessed using the "Intraoperative Vignettes" assessment. This is a computer-based cognitive test comprising 20 Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) case scenarios. Participants are presented with clinical scenarios and must select the correct management decision. The outcome is reported as a composite of accuracy (total number of correct responses) and response time (time taken to select an answer). Accuracy is scored from 0 to 20, with higher scores indicating better clinical decision-making.	6 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Mood (PANAS)	Mood is assessed using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). This is a validated 20-item self-report questionnaire that measures two distinct dimensions of emotion: Positive Affect (10 items) and Negative Affect (10 items). Participants rate items on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Very slightly or not at all) to 5 (Extremely). Scores for each subscale range from 10 to 50.; Positive Affect: Higher scores represent higher levels of enthusiasm and energy (better outcome).; Negative Affect: Higher scores represent higher levels of subjective distress and unpleasurable engagement (worse outcome).	6 weeks
Anxiety and Depression (DASS-21)	Psychological distress is measured using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). This is a validated 21-item self-report instrument containing three subscales: Depression, Anxiety, and Stress (7 items per subscale). Participants rate how much each statement applied to them over the past week on a 4-point scale ranging from 0 (Did not apply to me at all) to 3 (Applied to me very much or most of the time). Subscale scores are calculated by summing the scores for the relevant items and multiplying by 2.; Range: Each subscale ranges from 0 to 42.; Interpretation: Higher scores indicate greater severity of symptoms (worse outcome).	6 weeks
Intervention Satisfaction Score (Intervention Arm Only)	Participants in the intervention group complete an Intervention Satisfaction Survey to evaluate the curriculum and learner experience. This measure utilizes a Likert scale to assess participant feedback. Items are rated on a 5-point scale from 1 (Not true at all) to 5 (Completely true), with higher scores indicating higher satisfaction (better outcome).	6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of California, San Francisco
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Karen Barrett, PhD, University of California, San Francisco

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 15, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): February 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): February 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 2, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 12, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): January 21, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 5, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 2, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 25-44724

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No