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Completed

NCT Number: NCT03346616

Text4Peds: Short Message Service Evaluating Medical Student Education

In this study, third year medical students on the pediatric clerkship will be randomized to receive either only written educational material (review journal articles) or written educational material plus daily text messages consisting of board style questions with online answers. The students' performance on the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Pediatric Subject Evaluation will be compared between the two groups.

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Key information

Conditions

Education, Medical, Undergraduate SMS

Age range

20 year–50 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

St Louis University

St Louis, Missouri, 63104, United States

About this study

In the last decade, the use of smartphone and text messaging (SMS) has increased significantly; during this time, text messaging has become the primary means of communication in some instances. Despite the popularity, text messaging and smartphones have been rarely utilized in the context of medical education. Few studies have been performed examining the effect of text messaging as an adjunct to traditional medical education. A previous study with the Saint Louis University (SLU) Pediatric Residency program, showed the feasibility of using text messaging to deliver medical information to pediatric residents through the Text4Peds program.

This study aims to expand Text4Peds to third NBME Pediatric Subject Evaluation performance. The NBME Pediatric Subject Evaluation is a national, standardized pediatric knowledge based exam from the NBME taken by all medical students at the end of their pediatric clerkship.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Third year medical students on the Pediatric Clerkship at Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Exclusion criteria

  • Third year medical students who did not have a mobile phone capable of receiving a short message service (SMS) text message

Treatment and study plan

Texting Group

Other

See above in arm/group description

Non Texting Group

Other

See above in arm/group description

Primary outcomes

  1. National Board of Medical Examiners Pediatric Subject Examination

    Time frame: Assessed at end of intervention (after 8 weeks)

    The NBME pediatrics subject examination is used to assess medical student knowledge and is a common component of the pediatric clerkship grade. It is also used to compare medical student performance to a national benchmark. NBME scores are on a scale of 0-100 (% correct); mean score for this exam during year of evaluation was 75.7 (SD 8.7).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

St. Louis University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Text4Peds: Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating Medical Student Education

Important dates

Study start
2016
Primary completion
2017
Study completion
2017
First posted
Nov 17, 2017
Registry last updated
Nov 17, 2017

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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