Trial Outcomes & Findings for Mobile Learning to Improve Clinician's Ability to Break Bad News (NCT NCT03804918)

NCT ID: NCT03804918

Last Updated: 2020-11-03

Results Overview

Baseline and post-intervention questionnaires utilise a five-point Likert scale ranking of the user's confidence and agreeability with statements (Scale: Not very confident at all; Not very confident; Somewhat confident; Very confident; Extremely confident). With each participant acting as their own control, comparisons were made from their own baseline and post-intervention Likert scale ratings.

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Study phase

NA

Target enrollment

17 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

Baseline questionnaire (week 0) followed by post-intervention questionnaire (weeks 4 to 6)

Results posted on

2020-11-03

Participant Flow

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure
Interventional Group: All Participants
Given access to a selected breaking bad news mobile learning resource (VitalTips application). VitalTips mobile application: VitalTips is a mobile learning application with learning on breaking bad news. Participants were expected to spend at least three hours using the mobile learning resource, ensuring that this time does not impact on their clinical and academic commitments.
Overall Study
STARTED
17
Overall Study
COMPLETED
16
Overall Study
NOT COMPLETED
1

Reasons for withdrawal

Reasons for withdrawal
Measure
Interventional Group: All Participants
Given access to a selected breaking bad news mobile learning resource (VitalTips application). VitalTips mobile application: VitalTips is a mobile learning application with learning on breaking bad news. Participants were expected to spend at least three hours using the mobile learning resource, ensuring that this time does not impact on their clinical and academic commitments.
Overall Study
Participant did not use the app
1

Baseline Characteristics

Race and Ethnicity were not collected from any participant.

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure
Interventional Group: All Participants
n=16 Participants
Given access to a selected breaking bad news mobile learning resource (VitalTips application). VitalTips mobile application: VitalTips is a mobile learning application with learning on breaking bad news. Participants were expected to spend at least three hours using the mobile learning resource, ensuring that this time does not impact on their clinical and academic commitments.
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants
n=16 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
16 Participants
n=16 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
0 Participants
n=16 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
9 Participants
n=16 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
7 Participants
n=16 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United Kingdom
16 participants
n=16 Participants
Specialty
Intensive care
1 Participants
n=16 Participants
Specialty
Medicine
5 Participants
n=16 Participants
Specialty
Oncology
7 Participants
n=16 Participants
Specialty
Paediatrics
1 Participants
n=16 Participants
Specialty
Surgery
2 Participants
n=16 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: Baseline questionnaire (week 0) followed by post-intervention questionnaire (weeks 4 to 6)

Population: All participants (n=16) completed both the pre- and post-intervention questionnaires and there was no missing data.

Baseline and post-intervention questionnaires utilise a five-point Likert scale ranking of the user's confidence and agreeability with statements (Scale: Not very confident at all; Not very confident; Somewhat confident; Very confident; Extremely confident). With each participant acting as their own control, comparisons were made from their own baseline and post-intervention Likert scale ratings.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Interventional Group: All Participants
n=16 Participants
Given access to a selected breaking bad news mobile learning resource (VitalTips application). VitalTips mobile application: VitalTips is a mobile learning application with learning on breaking bad news. Participants were expected to spend at least three hours using the mobile learning resource, ensuring that this time does not impact on their clinical and academic commitments.
Change in Self-assessed Likert Scale Relating to Confidence in Breaking Bad News at Baseline and Post-intervention.
Post-intervention: Extremely confident
0 Participants
Change in Self-assessed Likert Scale Relating to Confidence in Breaking Bad News at Baseline and Post-intervention.
Post-intervention: Very confident
3 Participants
Change in Self-assessed Likert Scale Relating to Confidence in Breaking Bad News at Baseline and Post-intervention.
Pre-intervention: Extremely confident
0 Participants
Change in Self-assessed Likert Scale Relating to Confidence in Breaking Bad News at Baseline and Post-intervention.
Pre-intervention: Not very confident at all
1 Participants
Change in Self-assessed Likert Scale Relating to Confidence in Breaking Bad News at Baseline and Post-intervention.
Post-intervention: Not very confident at all
0 Participants
Change in Self-assessed Likert Scale Relating to Confidence in Breaking Bad News at Baseline and Post-intervention.
Pre-intervention: Not very confident
1 Participants
Change in Self-assessed Likert Scale Relating to Confidence in Breaking Bad News at Baseline and Post-intervention.
Post-intervention: Not very confident
0 Participants
Change in Self-assessed Likert Scale Relating to Confidence in Breaking Bad News at Baseline and Post-intervention.
Pre-intervention: Somewhat confident
12 Participants
Change in Self-assessed Likert Scale Relating to Confidence in Breaking Bad News at Baseline and Post-intervention.
Post-intervention: Somewhat confident
13 Participants
Change in Self-assessed Likert Scale Relating to Confidence in Breaking Bad News at Baseline and Post-intervention.
Pre-intervention: Very confident
2 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: Baseline SPE (week 0) followed by post-intervention SPE (weeks 4 to 6)

Population: All participants (n=16) completed both the pre- and post-intervention SPEs and there was no missing data.

The simulated patient encounter (SPE) was marked by three assessors using the validated Breaking bad news Assessment Schedule (BAS). The BAS comprises of five sections which group a set of skills relating to BBN. Each skill was marked on a Likert scale in the form of a numerical scale: definitely (positive) 5 \_ 4 \_ 3 \_ 2 \_ 1 not at all (negative). The five sections were: A. Setting the scene (minimum score 3; maximum score 15); B. Breaking the news (minimum score 5; maximum score 25); C. Eliciting concerns (minimum score 3; maximum score 15); D. Information giving (minimum score 4; maximum score 20); E. General considerations (minimum score 8; maximum score 40). Overall score (minimum score 23; maximum score 115). Scores from three markers were summed and a mean average was taken pre- and post-intervention for each section and overall. Paired sample t-test were used for analysis of aggregated scores s they enabled the comparison of means between pre- and post-intervention mean scores.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Interventional Group: All Participants
n=16 Participants
Given access to a selected breaking bad news mobile learning resource (VitalTips application). VitalTips mobile application: VitalTips is a mobile learning application with learning on breaking bad news. Participants were expected to spend at least three hours using the mobile learning resource, ensuring that this time does not impact on their clinical and academic commitments.
Change in Simulated Patient Encounter Marking Scores Related to Breaking Bad News at Baseline and Post-intervention.
Pre-intervention: Setting the scene
10.15 score on the BAS scale
Standard Deviation 2.54
Change in Simulated Patient Encounter Marking Scores Related to Breaking Bad News at Baseline and Post-intervention.
Post-intervention: Setting the scene
12.25 score on the BAS scale
Standard Deviation 1.51
Change in Simulated Patient Encounter Marking Scores Related to Breaking Bad News at Baseline and Post-intervention.
Pre-intervention: Breaking the news
13.31 score on the BAS scale
Standard Deviation 5.06
Change in Simulated Patient Encounter Marking Scores Related to Breaking Bad News at Baseline and Post-intervention.
Post-intervention: Breaking the news
20.85 score on the BAS scale
Standard Deviation 2.66
Change in Simulated Patient Encounter Marking Scores Related to Breaking Bad News at Baseline and Post-intervention.
Pre-intervention: Eliciting concerns
7.71 score on the BAS scale
Standard Deviation 2.54
Change in Simulated Patient Encounter Marking Scores Related to Breaking Bad News at Baseline and Post-intervention.
Post-intervention: Eliciting concerns
10.77 score on the BAS scale
Standard Deviation 1.8
Change in Simulated Patient Encounter Marking Scores Related to Breaking Bad News at Baseline and Post-intervention.
Pre-intervention: Information giving
13.23 score on the BAS scale
Standard Deviation 2.92
Change in Simulated Patient Encounter Marking Scores Related to Breaking Bad News at Baseline and Post-intervention.
Post-intervention: Information giving
17.46 score on the BAS scale
Standard Deviation 1.33
Change in Simulated Patient Encounter Marking Scores Related to Breaking Bad News at Baseline and Post-intervention.
Pre-intervention: General considerations
26.54 score on the BAS scale
Standard Deviation 6.08
Change in Simulated Patient Encounter Marking Scores Related to Breaking Bad News at Baseline and Post-intervention.
Post-intervention: General considerations
33.58 score on the BAS scale
Standard Deviation 3.72
Change in Simulated Patient Encounter Marking Scores Related to Breaking Bad News at Baseline and Post-intervention.
Pre-intervention: Overall
71.15 score on the BAS scale
Standard Deviation 17.19
Change in Simulated Patient Encounter Marking Scores Related to Breaking Bad News at Baseline and Post-intervention.
Post-intervention: Overall
94.92 score on the BAS scale
Standard Deviation 9.58

Adverse Events

Interventional Group: All Participants

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Other adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Additional Information

Dr Gehan Soosaipillai

Imperial College London

Phone: +44 20 3312 6666

Results disclosure agreements

  • Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
  • Publication restrictions are in place