JMIR medical education
Simulation-Based Radiology Training for Medical Technical Assistant Trainees: Quasi-Experimental Study
By Witti MJ, Coleman JC, Richters C and 6 others.
Abstract
Background
Simulation-based education is increasingly used in medical training to safely develop clinical skills. However, the perceived relevance of a simulation ("utility value") to a learner's future work may influence its effectiveness.
Objective
This study evaluated a digital radiology simulation module for medical technical assistant trainees in Germany, examining learning gains, group differences in motivational variables, and the moderating role of utility value.
Methods
Fifty German medical technical assistant trainees (including 24 specializing in radiology and 26 focused on laboratory medicine) completed a pretest and posttest requiring them to arrange 12 steps of a contrast injection procedure in the correct order. All participants then engaged in an interactive computer simulation of the procedure. After the simulation, trainees rated their self-efficacy, as well as the intrinsic value and perceived utility value of the simulation. Learning gains were analyzed using a mixed-design ANOVA on the Spearman footrule distance composite score, and group differences in motivational variables were tested using independent-sample 2-tailed t tests. The moderating role of utility value on learning gains was examined using a mixed-design analysis of covariance.