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Effectiveness of a Combined e-Learning and Virtual Reality Training Program for Healthcare Providers in Rheumatology

18 de setembro de 2026 atualizado por: hvanmiddendorp, Leiden University

Context Matters: Training Healthcare Professionals in Communication to Maximize Placebo Effects and Minimize Nocebo Effects in Rheumatology: A Multicentre, Randomized Controlled Trial.

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of communication training on the communication skills of the healthcare provider in the rheumatology department during consults with patients.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Is communication training effective in increasing the self-perceived communication skills of the healthcare provider?
  • Is communication training effective in increasing the evaluation of patients on the communication skills of their corresponding healthcare provider?

Researchers will compare one group who will receive communication training to one group who will not receive any training to see if there is a significant difference in self-evaluation and patient-evaluation on their communication skills.

Participants will begin by completing a pre-test self-evaluation questionnaire, followed by communication training. After the training, they will complete a post-test self-evaluation questionnaire. Over the next eight weeks following the training, participants will gather evaluations from their patients on their communication skills during the most recent consultation.

Visão geral do estudo

Status

Recrutamento

Condições

Intervenção / Tratamento

Descrição detalhada

Background: Leading experts on placebo and nocebo effects agree that healthcare providers should be trained to effectively leverage expectancy effects in clinical practice. However, these practices have rarely been implemented with many healthcare providers lacking the expertise to fully take care of patient expectancies. Thus, we developed an e-Learning course and a virtual training tool that trains healthcare professionals across all disciplines to communicate with patients in a manner that maximizes placebo effects and minimizes nocebo effects.

Aim: The current study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the combined e-Learning course and Virtual Reality training at improving expectancy-based communication within the department of rheumatology.

Method: Dutch healthcare providers (n= 52) working across rheumatology departments in the Netherlands will be stratified on specialization (e.g., rheumatologist, physician assistant, nurse specialist, medical resident or medical researcher) and randomized to either the intervention (e-Learning + VR training) or the control group (no training + e-Learning knowledge exam). The effect of the training is evaluated by a pre-post self-evaluation of clinicians (main outcome: SE12) and patient evaluations (N= 884) (secondary outcome: QQPPI).

Participants: Healthcare providers participating in the study must be active and working in the rheumatology department. Additionally, they must see patients on a regular basis.

Patients must be 18 years or older and require a mastery of spoken and written Dutch.

Intervention tools: for the communication training consists of an e-Learning course with 6 modules, including: 1) Optimizing patient-provider relationship, 2) discussing expectations, 3) discussing the treatment rationale, 4) discussing risks and side-effects, 5) explain placebo and nocebo effects and 6) expectancy-based communication during tapering. The course also includes seven case-by-case study questions and a knowledge exam consisting of 15 randomized questions at the end of the course. Participants are required to pass the test with a minimal grade of 7.

The Virtual Reality app consists of 2 modules with each a separate virtual avatar representing a patient. The app incorporates A.I. generated dialogue that is bound to the topic of the case. The training is supported by a feedback system at the end of a playthrough and is designed for multiple playthroughs in order to create a 'learning by experience' effect.

Main outcomes: The primary outcome will be determined by comparing the scores of the two study groups on the validated self-evaluation questionnaire 'SE-12' before and after the intervention.

The secondary outcome will be determined by comparing the scores of the two groups on the validated patient-evaluation questionnaire 'QQPPI'.

Exploratory outcomes: Additional outcome measures will include comparing the average scores of the intervention and control groups on the e-Learning knowledge exam, as well as tracking the score progression of healthcare providers across multiple sessions of the Virtual Reality app.

After the conclusion of the study, the control group will be offered the same training as the intervention group.

Tipo de estudo

Intervencional

Inscrição (Estimado)

936

Estágio

  • Não aplicável

Contactos e Locais

Esta seção fornece os detalhes de contato para aqueles que conduzem o estudo e informações sobre onde este estudo está sendo realizado.

Contato de estudo

Locais de estudo

    • South Holland
      • Leiden, South Holland, Holanda, 2333AK

Critérios de participação

Os pesquisadores procuram pessoas que se encaixem em uma determinada descrição, chamada de critérios de elegibilidade. Alguns exemplos desses critérios são a condição geral de saúde de uma pessoa ou tratamentos anteriores.

Critérios de elegibilidade

Idades elegíveis para estudo

18 anos e mais velhos (Adulto, Adulto mais velho)

Aceita Voluntários Saudáveis

Sim

Gêneros Elegíveis para o Estudo

Tudo

Descrição

Inclusion criteria for healthcare providers:

  • being 18 years or older
  • having a good command of the Dutch language, both written and spoken.
  • being a healthcare provider within the rheumatology department (e.g., rheumatologist, physician assistant, rheumatology nurse, medical resident, or medical researcher).
  • regularly seeing rheumatology patients during consultations.

No exclusion criteria, except for not having regular supervisory meetings with patients with rheumatic diseases.

Inclusion criteria for patients :

  • being 18 years or older
  • having a good command of the Dutch language, both written and spoken
  • having had a consultation with one of the participating healthcare providers (intervention or control group) within the past 8 weeks

Plano de estudo

Esta seção fornece detalhes do plano de estudo, incluindo como o estudo é projetado e o que o estudo está medindo.

Como o estudo é projetado?

Detalhes do projeto

  • Finalidade Principal: Cuidados de suporte
  • Alocação: Randomizado
  • Modelo Intervencional: Atribuição Paralela
  • Mascaramento: Solteiro

Armas e Intervenções

Grupo de Participantes / Braço
Intervenção / Tratamento
Experimental: Communicating training group

Healthcare providers in the experimental group receive communication training consisting of an e-Learning communication course and knowledge exam of 1 hour and communication training in a virtual reality environment with a virtual avatar for 1 hour.

An e-learning course comprising six modules, each featuring case-based questions, followed by a comprehensive knowledge exam. The course concludes with a Virtual Reality training program, which includes two immersive modules and AI-generated dialogue for an interactive learning experience.

Sem intervenção: No training group

Healthcare providers in the control group receive no training but have the opportunity to receive the training after the study has been concluded.

O que o estudo está medindo?

Medidas de resultados primários

Medida de resultado
Descrição da medida
Prazo
Changes in total scores from a pre-test to a post-test evaluation between the arms on the SE-12 self-evaluation questionnaire, supplemented with customized questions regarding patient expectations.
Prazo: After inclusion into the study, which precedes the training with mostly a few weeks, a baseline assessment is done. After completing the training, a post-test evaluation is done, within approximately 2 weeks after the training.

The self-evaluation questionnaire consists of questions about communication skills, primarily focused on how certain the healthcare provider is in successfully performing a specific action during the consultation with a patient.

The ratings are scored on a scale of one to ten, with one being very unlikely and ten being very likely.

After inclusion into the study, which precedes the training with mostly a few weeks, a baseline assessment is done. After completing the training, a post-test evaluation is done, within approximately 2 weeks after the training.

Medidas de resultados secundários

Medida de resultado
Descrição da medida
Prazo
Score difference between arms on patient-evaluation based on the QQPPI questionnaire, supplemented with customized questions regarding expectations for the communication skills of healthcare providers during their most recent consultation.
Prazo: Patient-evaluations will be collected over the course of eight weeks after completing the communication training by healthcare providers

The patient-evaluation questionnaire consists of questions about statements and assertions concerning the most recent consultation.

The scale consists of five ratings, with 1 being 'I do not agree' and five being 'I fully agree'.

Patient-evaluations will be collected over the course of eight weeks after completing the communication training by healthcare providers

Colaboradores e Investigadores

É aqui que você encontrará pessoas e organizações envolvidas com este estudo.

Patrocinador

Colaboradores

Investigadores

  • Investigador principal: Henriët van Middendorp, PhD, Leiden University

Datas de registro do estudo

Essas datas acompanham o progresso do registro do estudo e os envios de resumo dos resultados para ClinicalTrials.gov. Os registros do estudo e os resultados relatados são revisados ​​pela National Library of Medicine (NLM) para garantir que atendam aos padrões específicos de controle de qualidade antes de serem publicados no site público.

Datas Principais do Estudo

Início do estudo (Real)

27 de março de 2025

Conclusão Primária (Estimado)

1 de abril de 2027

Conclusão do estudo (Estimado)

1 de julho de 2027

Datas de inscrição no estudo

Enviado pela primeira vez

27 de julho de 2026

Enviado pela primeira vez que atendeu aos critérios de CQ

18 de setembro de 2026

Primeira postagem (Real)

22 de setembro de 2026

Atualizações de registro de estudo

Última Atualização Postada (Real)

22 de setembro de 2026

Última atualização enviada que atendeu aos critérios de controle de qualidade

18 de setembro de 2026

Última verificação

1 de julho de 2026

Mais Informações

Termos relacionados a este estudo

Outros números de identificação do estudo

  • 2024-06-10-A.W.M.Evers-V1-5522

Plano para dados de participantes individuais (IPD)

Planeja compartilhar dados de participantes individuais (IPD)?

SIM

Descrição do plano IPD

Shared IPD will consist of pseudonymized demographic data, questionnaire results and performance on training measurements.

Prazo de Compartilhamento de IPD

Data will become available after publication of the study and remain available for 10 years.

Critérios de acesso de compartilhamento IPD

The data will be securely restricted and access will be granted upon request to the author for research purposes.

Tipo de informação de suporte de compartilhamento de IPD

  • PROTOCOLO DE ESTUDO
  • SEIVA
  • ANALYTIC_CODE

Informações sobre medicamentos e dispositivos, documentos de estudo

Estuda um medicamento regulamentado pela FDA dos EUA

Não

Estuda um produto de dispositivo regulamentado pela FDA dos EUA

Não

Essas informações foram obtidas diretamente do site clinicaltrials.gov sem nenhuma alteração. Se você tiver alguma solicitação para alterar, remover ou atualizar os detalhes do seu estudo, entre em contato com register@clinicaltrials.gov. Assim que uma alteração for implementada em clinicaltrials.gov, ela também será atualizada automaticamente em nosso site .