Pulmonary Ultrasound EducationNCT07679698
Self-Directed Learning for Pulmonary Ultrasound Education
A study testing Self-Directed Learning and Tutor-Guided Learning in people with Pulmonary Ultrasound Education and Ultrasound Training, run by University of Turin, Italy at 1 site in Italy.
Trial summary
This study compared two ways of teaching medical students how to recognize lung conditions using ultrasound images. All participants were third-year medical students taking part in a structured ultrasound training session at the University of Turin. Students were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Pulmonary Ultrasound Education, Ultrasound Training
- What is being tested?
- Self-Directed Learning and Tutor-Guided Learning
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 385 participants
- Where
- 1 siteItaly
- Study dates
- 3 Mar 2026to 30 Apr 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Third-year medical students enrolled in the "Approach to Ultrasound" curricular internship at the University of Turin
- Limited or no prior ultrasound experience
- No previous formal specialized ultrasound training
- Provision of informed consent for data collection
Who cannot join
- Inability to attend the complete ultrasound training session and both assessment sessions
- Physical or medical conditions limiting participation in hands-on ultrasound practice
- Refusal to provide informed consent for data collection
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Italy1 site
Advanced Medical Simulation Center- SimTO, School of Medicine, Turin, Italy
Turin, Italy, 10126
About this study
Official title: "Scaling Up Ultrasound Education Without Scaling Up Tutors: A Randomized Controlled Equivalence Trial of Self-Directed Learning for Pulmonary Pathology Recognition"
This study compared two ways of teaching medical students how to recognize lung conditions using ultrasound images.
All participants were third-year medical students taking part in a structured ultrasound training session at the University of Turin. Students were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group learned lung ultrasound pathology recognition with direct guidance from a tutor. The other group used a self-directed digital learning tool called MEDQUIZ, which allowed students to review clinical cases and ultrasound videos independently.
Read more
The main goal of the study was to determine whether self-directed learning was equivalent to tutor-guided instruction for recognizing pulmonary ultrasound findings. Students completed ultrasound image-based assessments before and after the training. The assessments evaluated their ability to recognize anatomical structures, distinguish normal from abnormal findings, and identify specific lung conditions such as pneumonia, pleural effusion, interstitial syndrome, and pneumothorax.
The study also evaluated student satisfaction with the learning experience.
Read the detailed description
This was a single-center, randomized, controlled equivalence trial conducted at the SimTO Advanced Medical Simulation Center, University of Turin, Italy. The study included third-year medical students enrolled in the curricular "Approach to Ultrasound" internship.
Before the in-person training session, all students completed online instructional materials on thoracic and abdominal ultrasound. During the internship, students participated in a structured two-hour ultrasound training session composed of four 30-minute stations. The stations included hands-on scanning of healthy volunteers and case-based pathology recognition activities.
At the thoracic pathology station, students were randomly assigned to either tutor-guided learning or self-directed learning. In the tutor-guided group, students worked through pulmonary ultrasound cases with direct supervision, clinical reasoning guidance, and feedback from a tutor. In the self-directed learning group, students used MEDQUIZ, a purpose-built digital learning tool that presented clinical cases, patient information, and lung ultrasound video clips in an interactive format.
The primary outcomes were based on pre-training and post-training assessments using ultrasound video cases. Students were assessed on three levels of competency: recognition of the anatomical structure shown in the ultrasound clip, classification of the finding as physiological or pathological, and identification of the specific pulmonary condition when a pathological finding was present. An overall case resolution score was also calculated.
Secondary outcomes included student satisfaction with the simulation-based learning experience, assessed at the end of the internship.
- Being tested
- Self-Directed Learning, Tutor-Guided Learning
- Keywords
- Point-of-Care Ultrasound, Lung Ultrasound, Medical Education, Simulation-Based Education, Randomized Controlled Trial, Equivalence Trial
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Self-Directed LearningBehavioural
Participants used MEDQUIZ, a purpose-built digital learning tool, to complete the thoracic pathology recognition station independently. The tool presented clinical cases, patient information, learning materials, and pulmonary ultrasound video clips. Students reviewed the cases and answered independently without structured tutor guidance during the 30-minute station.
Tutor-Guided LearningBehavioural
Participants completed the thoracic pathology recognition station with direct tutor guidance. During the 30-minute station, students reviewed pulmonary ultrasound cases through structured case-based learning, received real-time clinical reasoning guidance, and were provided with immediate corrective feedback by a trained tutor.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Tutor-Guided Learning | Active comparator | Participants assigned to this arm completed the thoracic pathology recognition station with direct tutor guidance. During the session, students reviewed pulmonary ultrasound cases through structured case-based learning, received real-time clinical reasoning guidance, and were provided with immediate corrective feedback by a trained tutor. All other components of the ultrasound internship were identical to those completed by the self-directed learning group. Receives: Behavioral: Tutor-Guided Learning |
| Self-Directed Learning | Experimental | Participants assigned to this arm completed the thoracic pathology recognition station using MEDQUIZ, a purpose-built self-directed digital learning tool. Students independently reviewed clinical cases, patient information, and pulmonary ultrasound video clips without structured tutor guidance. The tool included learning materials that remained available during the session. All other components of the ultrasound internship were identical to those completed by the tutor-guided learning group. Receives: Behavioral: Self-Directed Learning |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Anatomical Structure Recognition Accuracy
Percentage of pulmonary ultrasound cases in which participants correctly identified the anatomical structure shown in the ultrasound video clip.
Measured: Immediately before and immediately after the 3-hour ultrasound training session
Physiological Versus Pathological Discrimination Accuracy
Percentage of pulmonary ultrasound cases in which participants correctly classified the ultrasound finding as physiological or pathological.
Measured: Immediately before and immediately after the 3-hour ultrasound training session
Pulmonary Pathology Identification Accuracy
Percentage of pathological pulmonary ultrasound cases in which participants correctly identified the specific pulmonary condition shown in the ultrasound video clip, including pneumonia or consolidation, interstitial syndrome, pleural effusion, or pneumothorax.
Measured: Immediately before and immediately after the 3-hour ultrasound training session
Overall Pulmonary Ultrasound Case Resolution Score
Percentage of pulmonary ultrasound cases correctly resolved with the maximum score. A case was considered correctly resolved when the participant correctly identified the anatomical structure, correctly classified the finding as physiological or pathological, and, where applicable, correctly identified the specific pulmonary pathology.
Measured: Immediately before and immediately after the 3-hour ultrasound training session
Secondary outcomes (1)
Student Satisfaction With the Simulation Experience
Student satisfaction with the ultrasound training experience will be assessed after the session using the Italian version of the Satisfaction with Simulation Experience scale. This scale includes 18 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale, from 1 to 5. The total score ranges from 18 to 90, with higher scores indicating greater satisfaction with the simulation-based learning experience. Three subscale scores will also be calculated: Debriefing and Reflection, ranging from 9 to 45; Clinical Reasoning, ranging from 5 to 25; and Clinical Learning, ranging from 4 to 20. For all subscales, higher scores indicate a better outcome, corresponding to greater satisfaction in the specific domain.
Measured: Immediately after the 3-hour ultrasound training session
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted1 Jul 2026
- Study start3 Mar 2026
- Primary completion30 Apr 2026
- Study completion30 Apr 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Pulmonary Ultrasound EducationStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 385 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Turin, Italy
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Samuel Agostino, University of Turin, Italy
- Investigators
- Alberto Milan, PhD, Study director, Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Italy
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07679698
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 219865
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 23 Jun 2026
- Last updated
- 1 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Individual participant data will not be made publicly available. Access to de-identified data may be considered only in the context of a formal scientific collaboration and after approval by the relevant institutional and ethics committee authorities, in accordance with applicable regulations.
Publications
Agostino S, Daga MA, Novello F, Daga FA, Papotti G, Veglio F, Milan A. Evaluating the efficacy of a cost-effective PC-based tool as an equivalent alternative to traditional ultrasound simulators in medical education. Anat Sci Educ. 2025 Nov;18(11):1203-1214. doi: 10.1002/ase.70115. Epub 2025 Aug 29.
PubMed 40883880
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 1 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- "Scaling Up Ultrasound Education Without Scaling Up Tutors: A Randomized Controlled Equivalence Trial of Self-Directed Learning for Pulmonary Pathology Recognition"
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07679698
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 219865
- Keywords
- Point-of-Care Ultrasound, Lung Ultrasound, Medical Education, Simulation-Based Education, Randomized Controlled Trial, Equivalence Trial
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 385 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Turin, ItalyUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 3 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Apr 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Apr 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 1 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study compared two ways of teaching medical students how to recognize lung conditions using ultrasound images.
All participants were third-year medical students taking part in a structured ultrasound training session at the University of Turin. Students were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group learned lung ultrasound pathology recognition with direct guidance from a tutor. The other group used a self-directed digital learning tool called MEDQUIZ, which allowed students to review clinical cases and ultrasound videos independently.
The main goal of the study was to determine whether self-directed learning was equivalent to tutor-guided instruction for recognizing pulmonary ultrasound findings. Students completed ultrasound image-based assessments before and after the training. The assessments evaluated their ability to recognize anatomical structures, distinguish normal from abnormal findings, and identify specific lung conditions such as pneumonia, pleural effusion, interstitial syndrome, and pneumothorax.
The study also evaluated student satisfaction with the learning experience.
Detailed description
This was a single-center, randomized, controlled equivalence trial conducted at the SimTO Advanced Medical Simulation Center, University of Turin, Italy. The study included third-year medical students enrolled in the curricular "Approach to Ultrasound" internship.
Before the in-person training session, all students completed online instructional materials on thoracic and abdominal ultrasound. During the internship, students participated in a structured two-hour ultrasound training session composed of four 30-minute stations. The stations included hands-on scanning of healthy volunteers and case-based pathology recognition activities.
At the thoracic pathology station, students were randomly assigned to either tutor-guided learning or self-directed learning. In the tutor-guided group, students worked through pulmonary ultrasound cases with direct supervision, clinical reasoning guidance, and feedback from a tutor. In the self-directed learning group, students used MEDQUIZ, a purpose-built digital learning tool that presented clinical cases, patient information, and lung ultrasound video clips in an interactive format.
The primary outcomes were based on pre-training and post-training assessments using ultrasound video cases. Students were assessed on three levels of competency: recognition of the anatomical structure shown in the ultrasound clip, classification of the finding as physiological or pathological, and identification of the specific pulmonary condition when a pathological finding was present. An overall case resolution score was also calculated.
Secondary outcomes included student satisfaction with the simulation-based learning experience, assessed at the end of the internship.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Tutor-Guided Learning | Active comparator | Behavioral: Tutor-Guided LearningParticipants assigned to this arm completed the thoracic pathology recognition station with direct tutor guidance. During the session, students reviewed pulmonary ultrasound cases through structured case-based learning, received real-time clinical reasoning guidance, and were provided with immediate corrective feedback by a trained tutor. All other components of the ultrasound internship were identical to those completed by the self-directed learning group. |
| Self-Directed Learning | Experimental | Behavioral: Self-Directed LearningParticipants assigned to this arm completed the thoracic pathology recognition station using MEDQUIZ, a purpose-built self-directed digital learning tool. Students independently reviewed clinical cases, patient information, and pulmonary ultrasound video clips without structured tutor guidance. The tool included learning materials that remained available during the session. All other components of the ultrasound internship were identical to those completed by the tutor-guided learning group. |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Third-year medical students enrolled in the "Approach to Ultrasound" curricular internship at the University of Turin
- Limited or no prior ultrasound experience
- No previous formal specialized ultrasound training
- Provision of informed consent for data collection
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Inability to attend the complete ultrasound training session and both assessment sessions
- Physical or medical conditions limiting participation in hands-on ultrasound practice
- Refusal to provide informed consent for data collection
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Directed LearningParticipants used MEDQUIZ, a purpose-built digital learning tool, to complete the thoracic pathology recognition station independently. The tool presented clinical cases, patient information, learning materials, and pulmonary ultrasound video clips. Students reviewed the cases and answered independently without structured tutor guidance during the 30-minute station. | Behavioural | Self-Directed Learning |
| Tutor-Guided LearningParticipants completed the thoracic pathology recognition station with direct tutor guidance. During the 30-minute station, students reviewed pulmonary ultrasound cases through structured case-based learning, received real-time clinical reasoning guidance, and were provided with immediate corrective feedback by a trained tutor. | Behavioural | Tutor-Guided Learning |
Primary outcome
Anatomical Structure Recognition Accuracy
Time frame: Immediately before and immediately after the 3-hour ultrasound training session
Percentage of pulmonary ultrasound cases in which participants correctly identified the anatomical structure shown in the ultrasound video clip.
Physiological Versus Pathological Discrimination Accuracy
Time frame: Immediately before and immediately after the 3-hour ultrasound training session
Percentage of pulmonary ultrasound cases in which participants correctly classified the ultrasound finding as physiological or pathological.
Pulmonary Pathology Identification Accuracy
Time frame: Immediately before and immediately after the 3-hour ultrasound training session
Percentage of pathological pulmonary ultrasound cases in which participants correctly identified the specific pulmonary condition shown in the ultrasound video clip, including pneumonia or consolidation, interstitial syndrome, pleural effusion, or pneumothorax.
Overall Pulmonary Ultrasound Case Resolution Score
Time frame: Immediately before and immediately after the 3-hour ultrasound training session
Percentage of pulmonary ultrasound cases correctly resolved with the maximum score. A case was considered correctly resolved when the participant correctly identified the anatomical structure, correctly classified the finding as physiological or pathological, and, where applicable, correctly identified the specific pulmonary pathology.
1 secondary outcome
Student Satisfaction With the Simulation Experience
Time frame: Immediately after the 3-hour ultrasound training session
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 1 Jul 2026.
- Background: PubMed 40883880Agostino S, Daga MA, Novello F, Daga FA, Papotti G, Veglio F, Milan A. Evaluating the efficacy of a cost-effective PC-based tool as an equivalent alternative to traditional ultrasound simulators in medical education. Anat Sci Educ. 2025 Nov;18(11):1203-1214. doi: 10.1002/ase.70115. Epub 2025 Aug 29.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Individual participant data will not be made publicly available. Access to de-identified data may be considered only in the context of a formal scientific collaboration and after approval by the relevant institutional and ethics committee authorities, in accordance with applicable regulations.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Alberto Milan, PhD study director
Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Italy
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Self-Directed Learning and Tutor-Guided Learning in people with Pulmonary Ultrasound Education and Ultrasound Training, run by University of Turin, Italy at 1 site in Italy.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Italy. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Anatomical Structure Recognition Accuracy (time frame: Immediately before and immediately after the 3-hour ultrasound training session). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07679698, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 Jul 2026.