Effect of Digital Interactive and Face-to-Face Peer Support on Medical Students' Clinical Skill Performance, Reflection Skills, and Retention of Clinical Skills

Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Education, Medical, Undergraduate; Medical Students; Clinical Skills Education; Students, Medical; Peer Support Interventions; Social Support; Objective Structured Clinical Examination; Clinical Competence

Treatments: Behavioral: Digital Interactive Peer Support; Behavioral: Face-to-Face Peer Support; Behavioral: Standard Training (Control)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07186569

2023-YÖNP-0719

Details and patient eligibility

About

This randomized educational trial compares two peer-support approaches for teaching clinical skills to medical students. Participants are randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) Digital interactive peer support delivered through an online platform with structured tasks and feedback; (2) Face-to-face peer support delivered in small group sessions with guided practice; or (3) Standard training according to the usual curriculum. All participants complete an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) immediately after training, and complete a validated questionnaire to assess reflection skills. A follow-up OSCE is administered to evaluate retention of clinical skills. There is no drug or device involved and risks are minimal.

Full description

Design: Interventional, randomized, parallel-assignment trial with three arms (digital interactive peer support, face-to-face peer support, standard training). Allocation is approximately equal across arms; masking is not used.

Setting and participants: Medical students who meet eligibility criteria at a university clinical skills program. Participants provide informed consent prior to enrollment.

Interventions:

• Digital interactive peer support - structured peer learning via an online platform (e.g., modules, quizzes, discussion, and peer feedback).
• Face-to-face peer support - structured in-person peer sessions with guided practice, observation, and formative feedback.
• Standard training - the usual curriculum without additional structured peer-support.

Assessments and timing: A baseline checklist may be collected as part of routine instruction. Primary endpoint is the OSCE total score obtained immediately post-intervention.

Enrollment: 98 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Enrolled medical students [1st year]
• Age ≥18 years and able to provide informed consent
• Sufficient proficiency in the language of instruction
• Access to the digital platform (for the digital arm)
• Availability for post-intervention and follow-up assessments

Exclusion criteria

• Prior formal certification or extensive training in the targeted clinical skills
• Inability to attend scheduled peer-support sessions (digital or face-to-face)
• Conditions that would prevent participation in OSCE/assessment procedures

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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98 participants in 3 patient groups

Digital Interactive Peer Support

Experimental group

Description:

Structured peer support via an online platform (modules, quizzes, discussion, and peer feedback).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Digital Interactive Peer Support

Face-to-Face Peer Support

Experimental group

Description:

Structured in-person peer sessions with guided practice, observation, and formative feedback (fece-to-face)

Treatment:

Behavioral: Face-to-Face Peer Support

Standard Training (Usual Curriculum)

Active Comparator group

Description:

Usual curriculum-based clinical skills training without additional structured peer support.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Standard Training (Control)