Does Instruction on Cognitive Aid Use Improve Performance and Retention of Skills?

Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Status: Completed

Conditions: Long-term Retention of Advanced Cardiac Life Support Skills

Treatments: Other: Standard Simulation Based ACLS Refresher Teaching; Other: Cognitive Aid based ACLS Refresher training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01646372

OHRI-20120006

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether formal instruction on the use of cognitive aids in managing a crisis will result in better longterm retention of knowledge and skills. In particular, this study examines the impact of cognitive aid teaching on the Advanced Cardiac Life Support course.

Enrollment: 55 patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Post-graduate Medical trainee in departments of Anesthesia, Emergency Medicine, Critical Care, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine
• Has taken ACLS Course at least once

Exclusion criteria

• Never taken ACLS Course

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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55 participants in 3 patient groups

Control Group

Active Comparator group

Description:

This group gets a simulation based ACLS refresher as treatment, but no access to cognitive aids for any of the tests.

Treatment:

Other: Standard Simulation Based ACLS Refresher Teaching

2nd Control Group

Active Comparator group

Description:

This group receives a standard Simulation based ACLS refresher as the intervention, like the control group. No mention is made of Cognitive Aids in the teaching, but they are available during the post-test and retention post-test.

Treatment:

Other: Standard Simulation Based ACLS Refresher Teaching

Cognitive Aid Group

Experimental group

Description:

This group receives Cognitive Aid based teaching as the intervention. They also have access to cognitive aids for post-test and retention post-test

Treatment:

Other: Cognitive Aid based ACLS Refresher training