Combined e-Learning and Virtual Reality Training to Improve Rheumatology Provider Communication
Official title: Context Matters: Training Healthcare Professionals in Communication to Maximize Placebo Effects and Minimize Nocebo Effects in Rheumatology: A Multicentre, Randomized Controlled Trial.
Run by Leiden University Medical Center · NCT07835256 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial tests whether a combined online course and VR training helps rheumatology providers communicate better with patients and whether patients rate their communication more highly after training.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 936 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Leiden University Medical Center Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Leiden, South Holland) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | March 27, 2025 |
| Main results expected | April 2027 |
| Study ends | July 2027 |
| Registry record updated | September 22, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07835256 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are rheumatology providers (e.g., rheumatologists, PAs, nurses, residents, researchers) in the Netherlands who regularly see rheumatology patients and are proficient in Dutch, and patients 18 years or older who have had a recent consultation with participating providers.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients who do not experience improvements in communication or who are not affected by expectancy-based messaging may see little to no benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This interventional study will compare rheumatology healthcare providers who receive an online e-learning course plus a virtual reality training module to a control group with no training. Primary outcomes include provider self-ratings of communication skills and patient assessments of the provider's communication during consultations. The study uses a pre-post design for providers and collects patient feedback over eight weeks, with a focus on expectancy-based communication in the rheumatology setting. Dutch providers across several rheumatology roles will be stratified and randomized to intervention or control, with patients aged 18 or older who have had a recent consultation included. The intervention aims to maximize placebo-related expectancy effects while minimizing nocebo effects in routine rheumatology care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients may experience clearer, more confident communication from their rheumatology providers, potentially improving satisfaction and engagement in care.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research on communication training and expectancy effects in medicine has shown mixed results; this design builds on a growing but still evolving evidence base.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria for healthcare providers: * being 18 years or older * having a good command of the Dutch language, both written and spoken. * being a healthcare provider within the rheumatology department (e.g., rheumatologist, physician assistant, rheumatology nurse, medical resident, or medical researcher). * regularly seeing rheumatology patients during consultations. No exclusion criteria, except for not having regular supervisory meetings with patients with rheumatic diseases. Inclusion criteria for patients : * being 18 years or older * having a good command of the Dutch language, both written and spoken * having had a consultation with one of the participating healthcare providers (intervention or control group) within the past 8 weeks
Where it's running
-
Leiden University
Leiden, South Holland, Netherlands Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Henriët van Middendorp, PhD — Leiden University
- Study coordinator: Victor Leong, MSc.
- Email: o.v.leong@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
- Phone: 6 46167311
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.