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VR-Live Hybrid Neurosurgery Clerkship:Boosting Neurosurgical Presence & Decisions

NCT ID: NCT07304570

Last Updated: 2025-12-26

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

112 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-03-01

Study Completion Date

2024-12-01

Brief Summary

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The goal of this randomized controlled trial was to learn whether a hybrid telemedicine curriculum that combines virtual-reality (VR) simulation with interactive live-streamed neurosurgical cases improves neurosurgical intentionality and clinical decision-making in fourth-year medical students whose clerkships were disrupted by COVID-19. It also assessed technical skills, theoretical knowledge, and student experience. The main questions it aimed to answer were:

Does the 4-week hybrid model (VR + live cases) produce greater gains in neurosurgical intentionality and decision-making than traditional online videos and readings? Does the hybrid model improve VR technical skill performance and student satisfaction without harming theoretical knowledge? Researchers randomized 112 students 1:1 to the hybrid intervention (15 h VR neuroanatomy/procedures + 20 h live-streamed surgeries/ICU rounds + real-time Q\&A) or a time-matched control group (pre-recorded videos, textbook readings, asynchronous forums).

Participants in both groups:

Completed 40 hours of remote content over 4 weeks Were tested at baseline and post-course on intentionality (modified Zwisch scale), decision-making (neurosurgery-specific SCT), 50-item MCQ knowledge, and VR proficiency metrics Joined focus groups and rated satisfaction on a 5-point Likert scale

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Virtual Reality Telemedicine

Keywords

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Neurosurgical education live-streaming clerkship training

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

OTHER

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Participants

Study Groups

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Intervention Group

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

VR Simulation (15 hours)+Live-Streamed Neurosurgical Procedures (20 hours)+Live-Streamed Neurocritical Care Rounds (5 hours)

Intervention Type OTHER

1. VR Simulation (15 hours): Customized modules on the NeuroVR Platform (validated for neurosurgical education):

* Neuroanatomy (5 hours): 3D interactive models of cerebral cortex, brainstem, cranial nerves, and spinal cord (with vascular/meningeal overlays).
* Procedural skills (10 hours): Craniotomy basics, ventriculostomy, lumbar puncture, and spine decompression-with real-time feedback on instrument handling and anatomical precision.
2. Live-Streamed Neurosurgical Procedures (20 hours): 18 diverse cases (brain tumor resection \[n=6\], spine fusion \[n=5\], aneurysm clipping \[n=3\], epilepsy surgery \[n=4\]) via HIPAA-compliant Zoom for Healthcare. Each session included:

* Pre-procedure briefing (anatomical landmarks, surgical goals).
* Intraoperative expert commentary (neurosurgeon + neuroanesthesiologist).
* Real-time Q\&A (focused on neurocritical decision-making: e.g., "How do you adjust resection for eloquent cortex mapping?").
3. Live-Streamed Neurocritical Care Rounds (5 hours): Week

Control group

* Pre-recorded neurosurgical videos (20 hours): Matched case types from the Neurosurgical Education and Training Resource (NETR) library, with voiceover but no interactivity.
* Textbook/journal readings (15 hours): Chapters from Neurosurgery: The Essential Guide and articles from Journal of Neurosurgical Education (aligned with case content).
* Asynchronous case discussions (5 hours): Text-based forums on the institution's LMS, moderated by faculty (48-hour response window).

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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VR Simulation (15 hours)+Live-Streamed Neurosurgical Procedures (20 hours)+Live-Streamed Neurocritical Care Rounds (5 hours)

1. VR Simulation (15 hours): Customized modules on the NeuroVR Platform (validated for neurosurgical education):

* Neuroanatomy (5 hours): 3D interactive models of cerebral cortex, brainstem, cranial nerves, and spinal cord (with vascular/meningeal overlays).
* Procedural skills (10 hours): Craniotomy basics, ventriculostomy, lumbar puncture, and spine decompression-with real-time feedback on instrument handling and anatomical precision.
2. Live-Streamed Neurosurgical Procedures (20 hours): 18 diverse cases (brain tumor resection \[n=6\], spine fusion \[n=5\], aneurysm clipping \[n=3\], epilepsy surgery \[n=4\]) via HIPAA-compliant Zoom for Healthcare. Each session included:

* Pre-procedure briefing (anatomical landmarks, surgical goals).
* Intraoperative expert commentary (neurosurgeon + neuroanesthesiologist).
* Real-time Q\&A (focused on neurocritical decision-making: e.g., "How do you adjust resection for eloquent cortex mapping?").
3. Live-Streamed Neurocritical Care Rounds (5 hours): Week

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. Fourth-year medical students assigned to the neurosurgical clerkship rotation
2. Able to participate fully in remote learning (stable internet and VR-headset compatible computer)
3. Provided written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

1. Had already completed a prior neurosurgical elective
2. Lacked reliable internet access or hardware required for VR/live-streaming
3. Declined to consent or unable to complete the 4-week curriculum
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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West China Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Zhigang Lan

Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

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West China Hospital

Chengdu, Sichuan, China

Site Status

Countries

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China

Other Identifiers

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WestChinaH-HX-2025-03

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id