Ecofisio, a Mobile Application for Assessment and Diagnosis Using Ultrasound Imaging for Undergraduate Health Science Students

The new called "Generation Z" is starting to reach college age. They have adopted technology and create a deep dependence on it, becoming more drawn to the virtual world. M-learning has experienced a huge expansion in recent years in both, medical context and medical and health's sciences education. Ultrasound is an important diagnosis technique in physiotherapy, especially in sports pathology. m-Learning environments could be a useful tool for improve the comprehension of ultrasound concepts and the acquisition of professional competencies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and the use of an interactive platform accessible through mobile devices (ECOFISIO) using ultrasound imaging for the development of professional competencies in the evaluation and diagnosis of sports pathologies.

Participants were 110 undergraduate students enrolled in two groups of this randomized controlled multicentre study: a control group (traditional learning) and experimental group (ECOFISIO mobile application). All participants were assessed both theoretically and by means of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) exams.

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Key information

Conditions

Sport Injury Educational Problems

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

To have anatomy and biomechanics previous knowledge.
To be enrolled in any required subject.
To have basic ability to use a mobile application.
To have a smartphone with Internet Access (Android Operating System).

Exclusion criteria

To have received any previous training in ultrasound imaging and managing.

Treatment and study plan

ECOFISIO

Device

The ECOFISIO application is focused on sports pathologies and contains relevant written and digital information about ultrasound imaging and managing as well as diagnosis of sport injuries.

Primary outcomes

Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)

Time frame: After the self-study periods in both study groups, up to two weeks.

An OSCE is a type of examination often used in health sciences. It is designed to test clinical skill performance and competence in a range of skills. The OSCE content and scoring procedures are standardized. It consists of five stations with five specific components of musculoskeletal ultrasound. Each test station is designed to focus on an area of clinical competence, namely: patient positioning, ultrasound probe positioning, ultrasound probe orientation (angle), ultrasound probe management and image adjustment. A standardized scoring tool is used to record what you do or don't do well, with a Likert scale with a range of 0 to 4 to rate the specific efficiency of each component. All OSCE candidates experience the same problem and are asked to perform the same task, within the same deadline. OSCEs are now widely used in undergraduate, graduate and undergraduate assessments. Overall reliability for this tool, Cronbach's alpha, is 0.89.

Secondary outcomes

Multiple Choice Questionnaire (MCQ)

Time frame: After the self-study periods in both study groups, up to two weeks.

The MCQ is an evaluation of the theoretical knowledge with 20 questions where a maximum score of 10 points could be obtained.The higher score, the better outcome.

Other outcomes

Satisfaction survey

Time frame: After the self-study periods in both study groups, up to two weeks.

a specific 5-point Likert questionnaire (from 1 indicating 'disagree' to 5 indicating 'strongly agree'), which had been used in similar contexts previously

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Irene Cantarero Villanueva

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start: 2014
Primary completion: 2015
Study completion: 2016
First posted: Oct 24, 2019
Registry last updated: Oct 28, 2019

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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Completed