Research Abstract Usefulness in Clinical Decision-making

Uniformed Services University (USU)

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Clinical Decision-making

Treatments: Behavioral: Access to EBN-Search (without full-text manuscripts)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT01255488

R02930-S2

Details and patient eligibility

About

To better understand the extent to which family nurse practitioners (FNPs) might use research abstracts in shaping their clinical decision-making under simulated conditions. A secondary point is to examine if and how FNPs might use full-text manuscripts (associated with the abstracts) if made available to them.

Full description

The study will recruit the approximate 25 - 1st year and 25 - 2nd year family nurse practitioner students of the Graduate School of Nursing. After being presented an overview of the study and informed consent document, those electing to participate will draw a sealed envelope indicating whether they are assigned to group A (intervention group) or group B (control group). The participant will proceed to the associated room, be provided a brief clinical case (appropriate to their training), an iPad device with pre-loaded EBN-Search engine, and a questionnaire. The EBN-Search engine for the intervention group will include 9 research abstracts associated to the case. The EBN-Search for the control group will include both the research abstracts and full-text versions of the manuscripts. The participants will be provided 20 minutes to complete the questionnaire using the information available to them. The questionnaire will require the participant to indicate treatment plan, respond to questions regarding the usefulness of research abstracts, questions regarding the usefulness of full-text (control group only) and recommendations on improving EBN-Search.

Enrollment: 50 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 21+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Matriculated family nurse practitioner graduate students of USUHS 2010/2011 academic year

Exclusion criteria

• None

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

---

50 participants in 2 patient groups

EBN-Search (without full-text manuscripts)

Experimental group

Description:

In the intervention arm research subjects will be provided access to EBN-Search (a fictitious search engine) with nine abstracts relating to the clinical case but no full-text manuscripts.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Access to EBN-Search (without full-text manuscripts)

EBN-Search (with full text manuscripts)

Active Comparator group

Description:

Research subjects will be exposed to 9 abstracts and corresponding full-text manuscripts related to the simulated clinical encounter.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Access to EBN-Search (without full-text manuscripts)