Medical EducationNCT07813624
Virtual Reality for Teaching Abscess Incision and Drainage to Medical Students
A study testing VR-Assisted Abscess Incision and Drainage Teaching and Conventional Abscess Incision and Drainage Teaching in people with Medical Education, run by Quanzhou Medical College at 1 site in China.
Trial summary
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. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 25 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Medical Education
- What is being tested?
- VR-Assisted Abscess Incision and Drainage Teaching and Conventional Abscess Incision and Drainage Teaching
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 120 participants
- Where
- 1 siteChina
- Study dates
- 12 Apr 2025to 26 May 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 18 to 25 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- 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.
Who cannot join
- 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.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Virtual Reality for Teaching Abscess Incision and Drainage to Medical Students: A Randomized Educational Trial
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.
- Conditions
- Medical Education
- Being tested
- VR-Assisted Abscess Incision and Drainage Teaching, Conventional Abscess Incision and Drainage Teaching
- Keywords
- Virtual Reality, Medical Education, Surgical Skills, Abscess Incision and Drainage, Objective Structured Clinical Examination, OSCE, Undergraduate Medical Students, Simulation-Based Education
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
VR-Assisted Abscess Incision and Drainage TeachingBehavioural
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 TeachingBehavioural
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.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| VR-Assisted Teaching | Experimental | Participants received a 120-minute teaching session including a 10-minute orientation, 20-minute faculty demonstration, 30-minute virtual reality training, 40-minute physical hands-on practice, and 20-minute debriefing and feedback. Receives: Behavioral: VR-Assisted Abscess Incision and Drainage Teaching |
| Conventional Teaching | Active comparator | Participants received a 120-minute conventional teaching session including a 10-minute orientation, 20-minute faculty demonstration, 30-minute structured instructor-guided procedural review, 40-minute physical hands-on practice, and 20-minute debriefing and feedback. Receives: Behavioral: Conventional Abscess Incision and Drainage Teaching |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Immediate Post-Intervention OSCE Skills Score
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.
Measured: Immediately after completion of the 120-minute teaching intervention
Secondary outcomes (3)
Theoretical Knowledge Posttest Score
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.
Measured: Immediately after completion of the 120-minute teaching intervention
Learning Interest Posttest Score
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.
Measured: Immediately after completion of the 120-minute teaching intervention
Course Satisfaction Total Score
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.
Measured: Immediately after completion of the teaching intervention and assessment
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Sep 2026
- Study start12 Apr 2025
- Primary completion26 May 2026
- Study completion26 May 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- 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
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 120 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Quanzhou Medical College
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07813624
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- QZMC-VR-AID-2025-01
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 4 Sep 2026
- Last updated
- 10 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: De-identified individual participant data supporting the reported primary and secondary outcomes may be made available upon reasonable request, subject to approval by the Medical Ethics Committee of Quanzhou Medical College and the institutional data custodian. Public unrestricted release of participant-level educational assessment data is not permitted because of ethics, consent, and institutional data-governance requirements.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 10 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Virtual Reality for Teaching Abscess Incision and Drainage to Medical Students: A Randomized Educational Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07813624
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- QZMC-VR-AID-2025-01
- Conditions
- Medical Education
- Keywords
- Virtual Reality, Medical Education, Surgical Skills, Abscess Incision and Drainage, Objective Structured Clinical Examination, OSCE, Undergraduate Medical Students, Simulation-Based Education
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 120 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Quanzhou Medical CollegeUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 12 Apr 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 26 May 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 26 May 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 10 Sep 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 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.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| VR-Assisted Teaching | Experimental | Behavioral: VR-Assisted Abscess Incision and Drainage TeachingParticipants received a 120-minute teaching session including a 10-minute orientation, 20-minute faculty demonstration, 30-minute virtual reality training, 40-minute physical hands-on practice, and 20-minute debriefing and feedback. |
| Conventional Teaching | Active comparator | Behavioral: Conventional Abscess Incision and Drainage TeachingParticipants received a 120-minute conventional teaching session including a 10-minute orientation, 20-minute faculty demonstration, 30-minute structured instructor-guided procedural review, 40-minute physical hands-on practice, and 20-minute debriefing and feedback. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 25 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- 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.
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| VR-Assisted Abscess Incision and Drainage TeachingParticipants 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. | Behavioural | VR-Assisted Teaching |
| Conventional Abscess Incision and Drainage TeachingParticipants 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. | Behavioural | Conventional Teaching |
Primary outcome
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.
3 secondary outcomes
Theoretical Knowledge Posttest Score
Time frame: Immediately after completion of the 120-minute teaching intervention
Learning Interest Posttest Score
Time frame: Immediately after completion of the 120-minute teaching intervention
Course Satisfaction Total Score
Time frame: Immediately after completion of the teaching intervention and assessment
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 10 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. De-identified individual participant data supporting the reported primary and secondary outcomes may be made available upon reasonable request, subject to approval by the Medical Ethics Committee of Quanzhou Medical College and the institutional data custodian. Public unrestricted release of participant-level educational assessment data is not permitted because of ethics, consent, and institutional data-governance requirements.
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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.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing VR-Assisted Abscess Incision and Drainage Teaching and Conventional Abscess Incision and Drainage Teaching in people with Medical Education, run by Quanzhou Medical College at 1 site in China.
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 4 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 10 Sep 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 China. 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?
Immediate Post-Intervention OSCE Skills Score (time frame: Immediately after completion of the 120-minute teaching intervention). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 10 Sep 2026.