RA Anatomy - VRvST Study

Summary

Primary Objective: Score out of 44 on a validated test of anatomy and sono-anatomy

Secondary Objective:

Before training

* Handedness (Edinburgh Handedness Inventory)
* Subjective sleepiness (Karolinska scale)
* Motor reaction time (Psychomotor Vigilance test)
* Attention control (Anti-Saccade test)
* Mental rotation (Mental Rotation Task)
* Depression Anxiety, Stress (DASS score)
* Visual Search Task (Divided Attention)
* Knowledge pretraining

After training and testing

* Knowledge after training session
* Acceptability: Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8)
* Usability: CyberSickness in Virtual Reality Questionnaire (CSQ-VR)
* Immersion: Witmer and Singer Presence Questionnaire
* Subjective workload (NASA - TLX scale)
* Cognitive Demand Battery (CBD)
* Resource use: Calculation of cost differences between learning Modalities

Study population: Resident anaesthetists

Recruitment Target: 102

Methodology:

This is a non-clinical randomised controlled trial of resident anaesthetists undergoing training in regional anaesthesia. Residents will be randomised to one of two groups for each training session day:

* Standard anatomical training (Group A)
* Virtual reality based anatomical training. (Group B) Then followed by another training day session and participants will enter either standard or VR teaching depending on the previous allocation:
* Standard anatomical training (Group B)
* Virtual reality based anatomical training. (Group A)

Anatomical knowledge will be tested in both groups using an on-line questionnaire developed by the Chief Investigator.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion criteria:

1. Anaesthetists that are residents in a recognised Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) training program
2. Anaesthetic training grades (Stage 1 - 3).

Exclusion criteria:

1. Visual impairment (this does not include wearing glasses/contact lenses)
2. History of severe diseases affecting physical motion or balance
3. History of any drugs that may affect physical motion or balance within 12 hours of the intervention
4. Pregnancy
5. Individuals who had consumed alcohol within 24 h of the intervention.
6. Resident doctors not in a recognised RCOA training program e.g. Staff grade anaesthetists.

Study treatment:

Standard teaching - control Virtual reality teaching - intervention

Conditions

• Virtual Reality Simulation
• Virtual Reality
• Education, Medical

Interventions

OTHER

3D virtual reality anatomy teaching

Knowledge of regional nerve anatomy among novice anaesthetists using 3D virtual reality is equivalent to standard teaching

OTHER

Standard anatomy model teaching

Knowledge of regional nerve anatomy among novice anaesthetists using standard anatomy model teaching

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Boyne Bellew · Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-01-01

Primary Completion

2026-12-31

Completion

2027-01-31