Teaching non-technical skills to improve pediatric trauma care

Improving Performance in Pediatric Trauma by Teaching Nontechnical Skills

Not applicable Interventional McGill University Health Centre/Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre · NCT05910515

This study is testing whether teaching medical students better teamwork and communication skills during trauma simulations can improve their performance in pediatric emergency care.

Quick facts

PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment40 (estimated)
Ages18 Years to 99 Years
SexAll
SponsorMcGill University Health Centre/Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre Academic / other
Locations2 sites (Belo Horizonte and 1 other locations)
Trial IDNCT05910515 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This trial aims to enhance non-technical skills (NTS) in medical students through a structured debriefing protocol. Participants will be randomly assigned to teams and engage in simulated trauma scenarios, with some receiving focused debriefing on NTS while others receive standard technical feedback. The effectiveness of the intervention will be measured using the Non-Technical Skills for Surgeons (NOTSS) score and the accuracy of interventions performed during simulations. The study seeks to address the gap in training for non-technical skills, which are crucial for effective healthcare delivery in pediatric trauma situations.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this study are medical students in their 3rd or 4th year at McGill University or 5th or 6th year medical students and general surgery residents in Brazil.

Not a fit: Patients who are in their 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year of medical school or residents not in the General Surgery service will not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could significantly improve the quality of pediatric trauma care by enhancing the teamwork and decision-making abilities of future healthcare providers.

How similar studies have performed: While the application of non-technical skills training in healthcare is gaining attention, this specific approach using the NOTSS framework in pediatric trauma care is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

1. Canadian cohort

   * McGill University, years 3 or 4 medical students. or
   * McGill University Health Centre general surgery residents
2. Brazilian cohort

   * Medical students, years 5 or 6. or
   * Brazilian general surgery residents

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Canadian cohort

   * Medical students of years 1 and 2;
   * Residents that are not from the General Surgery service;
2. Brazilian cohort

   * Medical students of years 1, 2, 3 \& 4.
   * Residents that are not from the General Surgery service;

Where this trial is running

Belo Horizonte and 1 other locations

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Injurieschildnon-technical skillspediatric trauma
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.