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Completed

NCT Number: NCT07813624

Virtual Reality for Teaching Abscess Incision and Drainage to Medical Students

This completed randomized educational trial evaluated whether virtual reality (VR)-assisted teaching improves medical students' performance in abscess incision and drainage compared with conventional teaching. A total of 120 second-year medical students were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either VR-assisted teaching or conventional teaching. Both groups received 120 minutes of instruction covering the same core learning objectives. The primary outcome was the immediate post-intervention objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) skills score for abscess incision and drainage. Secondary outcomes included theoretical knowledge, learning interest, and course satisfaction.

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Key information

Conditions

Medical Education

Age range

18 year–25 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Quanzhou Medical College

Quanzhou, Fujian, 362011, China

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Second-year medical students at Quanzhou Medical College who were enrolled in the surgical-skills curriculum.
  • No prior systematic dedicated training in abscess incision and drainage.
  • Able to complete the teaching session, immediate OSCE assessment, theoretical knowledge test, and questionnaires.
  • Willing to participate and provided written informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

  • Prior dedicated training in abscess incision and drainage.
  • Refusal to participate.
  • Inability to complete the assigned teaching session or immediate assessment.
  • Inability to complete VR training or course assessment because of obvious dizziness, visual discomfort, movement disorder, or other reasons.

Treatment and study plan

VR-Assisted Abscess Incision and Drainage Teaching

Behavioral

Participants received a 120-minute teaching session consisting of a 10-minute orientation, 20-minute faculty demonstration, 30-minute virtual reality training, 40-minute physical hands-on practice using an abscess incision teaching model, and 20-minute debriefing and feedback. The VR component used immersive three-dimensional visualization, stepwise task guidance, and error prompts to teach the procedural sequence of abscess incision and drainage.

Conventional Abscess Incision and Drainage Teaching

Behavioral

Participants received a 120-minute conventional teaching session consisting of a 10-minute orientation, 20-minute faculty demonstration, 30-minute structured instructor-guided procedural review, 40-minute physical hands-on practice using an abscess incision teaching model, and 20-minute debriefing and feedback.

Primary outcomes

  1. Immediate Post-Intervention OSCE Skills Score

    Time frame: Immediately after completion of the 120-minute teaching intervention

    Abscess incision and drainage procedural performance was assessed using a 100-point objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) checklist. Each participant was independently assessed by two examiners who were not informed of group allocation. The final OSCE score was calculated as the mean of the two examiner ratings. Scores ranged from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better simulated procedural performance.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Theoretical Knowledge Posttest Score

    Time frame: Immediately after completion of the 120-minute teaching intervention

    Theoretical knowledge of abscess incision and drainage was assessed using a 20-item single-best-answer multiple-choice test developed according to the course learning objectives. Each correct answer was awarded 5 points, and incorrect, multiple, or unanswered items received 0 points. Total scores ranged from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater theoretical knowledge.

  2. Learning Interest Posttest Score

    Time frame: Immediately after completion of the 120-minute teaching intervention

    Learning interest was assessed using a 10-item Likert scale. Each item was rated from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The total score ranged from 10 to 50, with higher scores indicating greater interest in learning procedural skills.

  3. Course Satisfaction Total Score

    Time frame: Immediately after completion of the teaching intervention and assessment

    Course satisfaction was assessed using a 10-item Likert scale. Each item was rated from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The total score ranged from 10 to 50, with higher scores indicating greater course satisfaction.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Quanzhou Medical College

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Virtual Reality for Teaching Abscess Incision and Drainage to Medical Students: A Randomized Educational Trial

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Sep 10, 2026
Registry last updated
Sep 10, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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