Impact of simulation training on communication skills in medical students
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN10251799 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN10251799 |
| Secondary identifying numbers | LS-C-23-216-McCarrick-Cahill |
- Submission date
- 30/10/2024
- Registration date
- 31/10/2024
- Last edited
- 21/07/2025
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Other
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
This study aims to see if a program focused on communication and consent in surgery can improve students' communication skills. The goal is to determine if this training should be a permanent part of the surgical curriculum.
Who can participate?
All surgical students can participate. Non-surgical students are excluded.
What does the study involve?
Participants will watch an actor and a tutor roleplay good and bad consent practices. Afterward, there will be a discussion about what makes good communication when getting patient consent. Students will also take part in a mock consent exercise at the start and end of the week to measure their communication skills.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Benefits include practicing communication skills, receiving feedback, and helping to improve the surgical curriculum. Risks are minimal but include the possibility that the tutorial may not improve communication skills.
Where is the study run from?
The study is conducted at UCD in the Mater Misericordiae site (Ireland)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
October 2023 to October 2024
Who is funding the study?
Investigator initiated and funded
Who is the main contact?
The main contact for the study is Cathleen McCarrick (cathleen.mccarrick@ucd.ie).
Contact information
Public, Scientific, Principal Investigator
Catherine McAuley Centre
21 Nelson Street
Dublin
D07 A8NN
Ireland
 ORCID ID |
0000-0002-9713-9038 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +353 879033513 |
| cathleen.mccarrick@ucd.ie |
Study information
| Study design | Single center interventional randomized controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Interventional |
| Secondary study design | Randomised controlled trial |
| Study setting(s) | University/medical school/dental school |
| Study type | Other |
| Participant information sheet | Not available in web format, please use contact details to request a participation information sheet |
| Scientific title | Impact of simulation training on communication skills in medical students- a randomised controlled trial |
| Study acronym | ISTCSMS |
| Study objectives | That dedicated communication simulation training has a significant effect on medical students' communication skills. |
| Ethics approval(s) |
Approved 06/10/2023, Human Research Ethics Committee – Sciences (HREC-LS) (University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, -, Ireland; -; research.ethics@ucd.ie), ref: LS-C-23-216-McCarrick-Cahill |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Communication skills in a student population |
| Intervention | Communication Skills Training involved a workshop designed for this study adhering to the foundational structure of the Calgary Cambridge Communication Guide to Medical Interviews (CCCM) as adopted and utilized by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) in their Human Factors in Patient Safety training for postgraduate surgical trainees. This training incorporates sessions designed to cultivate communication skills in trainees in national core surgical training who are then tested on an annual basis utilising a scoring rubric designed with explicit reference to the CCCM to simultaneously assesses communication content and process skills. For this study, CST workshops comprised an actor and a surgical tutor roleplaying as simulated patient (SP) and doctor respectively. They acted out two scenarios in which the tutor obtained informed consent for an intervention (specifically laparoscopic cholecystectomy). Students were provided with the framework of the CCCM to refer to whilst observing these scenarios. The first scenario was designed to exemplify good communication skills; encapsulating positive aspects of verbal and non-verbal communication; initiating the session appropriately and allowing the patient to express their level of understanding of the procedure in question, empathetic open listening and clear concise communication of the risks in non-medical terminology. This exemplar was then contrasted with a role play demonstration of poor communication. This consent was performed in a rushed and coercive fashion with poor verbal and non-verbal communication coupled with deliberate avoidance of terminology that a patient would readily understand. Highlighting these extreme examples allows for the subsequent development of an in-depth group discussion on the important points of communication within the consent process whilst the tutor referenced the CCCM structural framework for exemplifying good communication and developing a frame of reference for students in constructing a shared mental model so they could self-critique against a common shared standard. Additionally, the actor gave feedback to each interaction lending authenticity as the voice of a patient to the process. Students then voluntarily roleplayed as patients/ doctors consenting each other allowing for the organic encouragement of peer-to-peer learning. The control group continued to receive standard clinical teaching. Randomisation was done outside of the study by the school administration who randomly assigns students to surgical groups eg clustered randomisation. Following that process the groups were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control using a sealed envelope. |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure | Data was collected via the UCD scoring OSCE rubric and the GCRS-Global communication rating scale. Prior to the intervention both groups were given scores by blinded examiners and then after the intervention both groups underwent this. UCD scale is a mark equating to grade e.g. A+, A, A-, B=, B, B-..GCRS is a mark out of 3 for each domain of communication e.g. initiation of session, non verbal communication. |
| Secondary outcome measures | Students' confidence levels measured via anonymous survey before and after training. |
| Overall study start date | 06/10/2023 |
| Completion date | 10/10/2024 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Learner/student |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Lower age limit | 18 Years |
| Upper age limit | 65 Years |
| Sex | Both |
| Target number of participants | 120-140 |
| Total final enrolment | 122 |
| Key inclusion criteria | Students attached to surgical teaching |
| Key exclusion criteria | Not undergoing surgical teaching |
| Date of first enrolment | 07/10/2023 |
| Date of final enrolment | 10/10/2024 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- Ireland
Study participating centre
Eccles Street
Dublin 7
D07 A8NN
Ireland
Sponsor information
University/education
Department of surgery
School of Medicine
Dublin
-
Ireland
| debbie.killeen@ucd.ie | |
| Website | http://www.ucd.ie/ |
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/05m7pjf47 |
Funders
Funder type
Other
No information available
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | 11/11/2024 |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Available on request |
| Publication and dissemination plan | Planned publication in a peer reviewed journal |
| IPD sharing plan | Datasets generated during and analyzed in this study will mainly be published and those that are not are avaiable upon request from Cathleen.mccarrick@ucd.ie |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results article | 18/07/2025 | 21/07/2025 | Yes | No |
Editorial Notes
21/07/2025: Publication reference added.
31/10/2024: Trial's existence confirmed by Human Research Ethics Committee – Sciences (HREC-LS)
