Laparoscopic Skills AcquisitionNCT07744399
Effect of Mobile Video Games on Laparoscopic Simulation Skills in Medical Students
A study testing Mobile Phone Gaming in people with Laparoscopic Skills Acquisition and Surgical Education and Skill Acquisition, run by Marmara University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
This study evaluated whether regular mobile video game play could improve laparoscopic simulation performance among medical students without prior surgical or simulation experience. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Laparoscopic Skills Acquisition, Surgical Education and Skill Acquisition, Simulation Training, Laparoscopy
- What is being tested?
- Mobile Phone Gaming
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 30 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 26 Jan 2023to 20 May 2023
- 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 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Medical students enrolled in the first, second, or third year of medical school.
- No previous real surgical experience.
- No previous virtual or laparoscopic simulation training experience.
- Self-reported mobile game use of less than 3 hours per week before enrollment.
- Ability and willingness to provide informed consent.
- Voluntary participation in the study.
Who cannot join
- Previous real surgical experience.
- Previous virtual or simulated surgical training.
- Mobile game use of 3 hours or more per week before enrollment.
- Failure or unwillingness to provide informed consent.
- Withdrawal of consent during the study.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Turkey (Türkiye)1 site
Marmara University School of Medicine
Istanbul, Istanbul, 34854
About this study
Official title: Do Mobile Video Games Contribute to Improving Laparoscopic Surgical Skills of Medical Students? A Simulation-Based Study
This study evaluated whether regular mobile video game play could improve laparoscopic simulation performance among medical students without prior surgical or simulation experience. Thirty first-, second-, and third-year medical students were randomly assigned to either a mobile gaming intervention group or a control group. All participants received standardized training using the Simbionix LAP Mentor™ laparoscopic simulator and completed baseline assessments of hand-eye coordination, suture placement, and bimanual maneuver tasks. During the subsequent three-week intervention period, participants in the intervention group played selected mobile games (DATA WING™ and Aim Lab Mobile™) for at least 30 minutes daily, while the control group was instructed not to play mobile games. After the intervention, all participants repeated the same laparoscopic simulation tasks. The primary objective was to determine whether mobile gaming improved laparoscopic performance, as measured by task completion time and performance accuracy. The findings of this study may help clarify whether inexpensive and widely accessible mobile games can serve as an adjunct to simulation-based surgical education for novice medical students.
- Conditions
- Laparoscopic Skills Acquisition, Surgical Education and Skill Acquisition, Simulation Training, Laparoscopy, Medical Students
- Being tested
- Mobile Phone Gaming
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Mobile Phone GamingBehavioural
Also called Mobile Phone Game Training
Participants played DATA WING™ and Aim Lab Mobile™ on a mobile device for at least 30 minutes per day over 3 weeks. The intervention was designed to evaluate whether regular mobile gaming improves laparoscopic simulation performance in novice medical students.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile Phone Gaming Intervention | Experimental | Participants were instructed to play the selected mobile video games (DATA WING™ and Aim Lab Mobile™) for at least 30 minutes daily over a 3-week period. Laparoscopic simulation performance was assessed before and after the intervention using the Simbionix LAP Mentor™ simulator. Receives: Behavioral: Mobile Phone Gaming |
| Control | No intervention | Participants did not receive the mobile gaming intervention during the 3-week study period and completed the same baseline and post-intervention laparoscopic simulation assessments as the intervention group. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Hand-eye coordination task completion time
Change in completion time for the hand-eye coordination module of the Simbionix LAP Mentor™ laparoscopic simulator from baseline to 3 weeks.
Measured: Baseline and 3 weeks
Suture placement task completion time
Change in completion time for the suture placement module of the Simbionix LAP Mentor™ laparoscopic simulator from baseline to 3 weeks.
Measured: Baseline and 3 weeks
Secondary outcomes (1)
Laparoscopic simulation performance accuracy
Change in accuracy scores for the hand-eye coordination, suture placement, and bimanual maneuver modules of the Simbionix LAP Mentor™ laparoscopic simulator from baseline to 3 weeks.
Measured: Baseline and 3 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted4 Aug 2026
- Study start26 Jan 2023
- Primary completion8 May 2023
- Study completion20 May 2023
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Laparoscopic Skills AcquisitionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Marmara UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Participants were randomly assigned to either a mobile gaming intervention group or a control group. Both groups completed baseline and post-intervention laparoscopic simulation assessments after a 3-week intervention period.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Marmara University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Mustafa Umit Ugurlu, Marmara University
- Investigators
- M. Ümit Uğurlu, Professor of Surgery, M.D., Study director, Marmara University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07744399
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 09.2023.312
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 25 Jul 2026
- Last updated
- 4 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 4 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Do Mobile Video Games Contribute to Improving Laparoscopic Surgical Skills of Medical Students? A Simulation-Based Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07744399
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 09.2023.312
- Conditions
- Laparoscopic Skills Acquisition, Surgical Education and Skill Acquisition, Simulation Training, Laparoscopy, Medical Students
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Marmara UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 26 Jan 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 8 May 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 20 May 2023 (actual)
- First posted
- 4 Aug 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 study evaluated whether regular mobile video game play could improve laparoscopic simulation performance among medical students without prior surgical or simulation experience. Thirty first-, second-, and third-year medical students were randomly assigned to either a mobile gaming intervention group or a control group. All participants received standardized training using the Simbionix LAP Mentor™ laparoscopic simulator and completed baseline assessments of hand-eye coordination, suture placement, and bimanual maneuver tasks. During the subsequent three-week intervention period, participants in the intervention group played selected mobile games (DATA WING™ and Aim Lab Mobile™) for at least 30 minutes daily, while the control group was instructed not to play mobile games. After the intervention, all participants repeated the same laparoscopic simulation tasks. The primary objective was to determine whether mobile gaming improved laparoscopic performance, as measured by task completion time and performance accuracy. The findings of this study may help clarify whether inexpensive and widely accessible mobile games can serve as an adjunct to simulation-based surgical education for novice medical students.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Participants were randomly assigned to either a mobile gaming intervention group or a control group. Both groups completed baseline and post-intervention laparoscopic simulation assessments after a 3-week intervention period.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile Phone Gaming Intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: Mobile Phone GamingParticipants were instructed to play the selected mobile video games (DATA WING™ and Aim Lab Mobile™) for at least 30 minutes daily over a 3-week period. Laparoscopic simulation performance was assessed before and after the intervention using the Simbionix LAP Mentor™ simulator. |
| Control | No intervention | –Participants did not receive the mobile gaming intervention during the 3-week study period and completed the same baseline and post-intervention laparoscopic simulation assessments as the intervention group. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Medical students enrolled in the first, second, or third year of medical school.
- No previous real surgical experience.
- No previous virtual or laparoscopic simulation training experience.
- Self-reported mobile game use of less than 3 hours per week before enrollment.
- Ability and willingness to provide informed consent.
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Previous real surgical experience.
- Previous virtual or simulated surgical training.
- Mobile game use of 3 hours or more per week before enrollment.
- Failure or unwillingness to provide informed consent.
- Withdrawal of consent during the study.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile Phone GamingAlso: Mobile Phone Game TrainingParticipants played DATA WING™ and Aim Lab Mobile™ on a mobile device for at least 30 minutes per day over 3 weeks. The intervention was designed to evaluate whether regular mobile gaming improves laparoscopic simulation performance in novice medical students. | Behavioural | Mobile Phone Gaming Intervention |
Primary outcome
Hand-eye coordination task completion time
Time frame: Baseline and 3 weeks
Change in completion time for the hand-eye coordination module of the Simbionix LAP Mentor™ laparoscopic simulator from baseline to 3 weeks.
Suture placement task completion time
Time frame: Baseline and 3 weeks
Change in completion time for the suture placement module of the Simbionix LAP Mentor™ laparoscopic simulator from baseline to 3 weeks.
1 secondary outcome
Laparoscopic simulation performance accuracy
Time frame: Baseline and 3 weeks
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 4 Aug 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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.
M. Ümit Uğurlu, Professor of Surgery, M.D. study director
Marmara University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Mobile Phone Gaming in people with Laparoscopic Skills Acquisition and Surgical Education and Skill Acquisition, run by Marmara University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
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 6 inclusion and 5 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 4 Aug 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 Turkey (Türkiye). 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?
Hand-eye coordination task completion time (time frame: Baseline and 3 weeks). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. 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 4 Aug 2026.