Medical EducationCR-BLENDNCT07755878
Blended Cardiac Rehabilitation Training for Cardiology Residents
A study testing Common online cardiac rehabilitation curriculum, Matched supplementary online learning and Hospital-based case and practice sessions in people with Medical Education and Cardiac Rehabilitation, run by Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine at 1 site in China.
Trial summary
This randomized controlled trial compares supervised hospital-based practice with matched online activities as part of a common cardiac rehabilitation curriculum for cardiology residents. Ninety-eight residents will be allocated 1:1 to a blended group or an online control group. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Medical Education, Cardiac Rehabilitation
- What is being tested?
- Common online cardiac rehabilitation curriculum, Matched supplementary online learning and Hospital-based case and practice sessions
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 98 participants
- Where
- 1 siteChina
- Study dates
- 3 Mar 2025to Aug 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
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 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Resident physician currently participating in standardized residency training
- Undertaking a rotation in the Department of Cardiology
- Available to attend the cardiac rehabilitation course and study assessments
- Provides written informed consent
Who cannot join
- Prior systematic cardiac rehabilitation training
- Extensive clinical experience in a dedicated cardiac rehabilitation program
- Unable to attend the course at the time eligibility is assessed
- Declines participation
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
China1 site
The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine
Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310009
About this study
Official title: Supervised Hospital-Based Practice Versus Matched Online Activities in Cardiac Rehabilitation Training for Cardiology Residents: A Randomized Controlled Trial
This randomized controlled trial compares supervised hospital-based practice with matched online activities as part of a common cardiac rehabilitation curriculum for cardiology residents. Ninety-eight residents will be allocated 1:1 to a blended group or an online control group. Both groups will receive the same seven-module online curriculum and the same total scheduled learning time. The blended group will complete a matched block of in-person practice in the cardiology ward, outpatient clinic, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing laboratory, whereas the control group will complete matched-duration supplementary online activities. The primary outcome is the post-training 25-item cardiac rehabilitation knowledge score adjusted for the baseline score. Key secondary outcomes are Mini-CEX and procedure-specific DOPS scores assessed by assessors blinded to allocation.
Read the detailed description
The curriculum covers cardiac rehabilitation principles; phase I and phase II rehabilitation; cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) and report interpretation; individualized exercise prescription; medication, exercise, nutrition, psychological care, and smoking-cessation prescriptions; multidisciplinary management; patient communication; and management of exercise-related acute events.
Both groups receive the same online course, syllabus, learning objectives, and approximately 12 hours of scheduled learning. The blended group replaces one matched-duration block of supplementary online learning with seven supervised in-person sessions. These sessions involve teaching with real patients who provide separate agreement, standardized cases, CPET reports, simulated acute-event scenarios, and immediate feedback. The control group completes additional online case discussions and structured self-study assignments covering the same modules.
Measurements occur at three ordered time points. Before randomization and course access, participants complete baseline information and the fixed 25-item knowledge pretest. Immediately after completion of the 7-week course and before release of assessment results, participants complete the same 25-item knowledge post-test and a separate anonymous learner-reported form. Within 7 days after course completion, two independent assessors blinded to allocation complete the Mini-CEX and DOPS ratings. The primary analysis follows the intention-to-treat principle and uses ANCOVA of the post-training knowledge score adjusted for the baseline knowledge score, with multiple imputation for missing baseline or post-training knowledge outcomes.
- Conditions
- Medical Education, Cardiac Rehabilitation
- Being tested
- Common online cardiac rehabilitation curriculum, Matched supplementary online learning, Hospital-based case and practice sessions
- Keywords
- Cardiology residency, Blended learning, Case-based learning, Mini-CEX, DOPS, Cardiopulmonary exercise testing
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Common online cardiac rehabilitation curriculumOther
A seven-module online course covering cardiac rehabilitation principles, phase I and II rehabilitation, CPET, exercise prescription, the five prescriptions, multidisciplinary care, and acute-event management.
Matched supplementary online learningOther
Additional online case discussion and structured self-study assignments covering the same seven modules and matched in scheduled duration to the blended group's in-person sessions.
Hospital-based case and practice sessionsOther
Seven supervised sessions in the cardiology ward, outpatient clinic, and CPET laboratory. Residents practice assessment, risk stratification, CPET interpretation, individualized exercise prescription, patient education, multidisciplinary planning, and simulated acute-event management with immediate instructor feedback.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Online control group | Active comparator | Participants complete the common seven-module online cardiac rehabilitation course and matched-duration supplementary online case discussions and structured self-study assignments. Receives: Other: Common online cardiac rehabilitation curriculum; Other: Matched supplementary online learning |
| Blended learning group | Experimental | Participants complete the common seven-module online cardiac rehabilitation course and replace the matched supplementary online block with seven supervised, hospital-based case and practice sessions. Receives: Other: Common online cardiac rehabilitation curriculum; Other: Hospital-based case and practice sessions |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Post-training cardiac rehabilitation knowledge score adjusted for baseline
A fixed 25-item multiple-choice examination assesses cardiac rehabilitation fundamentals, phase I rehabilitation, phase II rehabilitation, CPET, exercise prescription, and case-based application. Each correct answer is worth 4 points; total scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater knowledge. The primary estimand is the adjusted between-group difference in the post-training total score from ANCOVA with the baseline total score as a covariate.
Measured: Immediately after completion of the 7-week course
Secondary outcomes (2)
Mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise total score
Two independent examiners blinded to allocation rate the standard seven Mini-CEX domains: medical interviewing, physical examination, humanistic qualities and professionalism, clinical judgment, counseling and communication, organization and efficiency, and overall clinical competence. Each domain is rated from 1 to 9. Each examiner total ranges from 7 to 63, with higher scores indicating better performance. The analysis score is the mean of the two examiner totals.
Measured: Within 7 days after completion of the 7-week course
Procedure-specific Direct Observation of Procedural Skills total score
Two independent examiners blinded to allocation rate 11 items in a standardized CPET-to-exercise-prescription workflow: indications and contraindications, informed consent, preparation, CPET workflow, safety monitoring, termination criteria, report interpretation, exercise prescription, acute-event management, teamwork, and overall procedural competence. Each item is rated from 1 to 9. Each examiner total ranges from 11 to 99, with higher scores indicating better performance. The analysis score is the mean of the two examiner totals.
Measured: Within 7 days after completion of the 7-week course
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Aug 2026
- Study start3 Mar 2025
- Primary completionAug 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionAug 2026 (estimated)
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 Medical 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
- Model description
- Residents are randomized 1:1 to an online control group or a blended learning group. Both groups receive the same online curriculum and matched total scheduled learning time; the matched supplementary block is delivered online in the control group and as supervised hospital-based practice in the blended group.
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 98 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Yaping Wang, Principal investigator, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07755878
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2026-0911
- Acronym
- CR-BLEND
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 30 Jul 2026
- Last updated
- 10 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: No individual participant-level data will be shared.
Publications
Jia F, Wang M, Lv Q, Li D, Jiang H, Fu G, Zhang W. Application of the BOPPPS-CBL model in emergency chest pain management teaching for resident physicians: a randomized comparison. BMC Med Educ. 2025 Mar 13;25(1):378. doi: 10.1186/s12909-025-06939-9.
PubMed 40082815