The pre-post test study with control group is one of the most widely used methods to evaluate clinical research and educational designs. The data analysis of this design is done in a variety of ways. However, considering that the interaction between the pre-test score and intervention score is considered a threat for external validity in these types of study designs, the ANCOVA test is recommended for its control. Also, due to the importance of accurately estimating the effect size of intervention, it is necessary to assess the differences in the accuracy of its estimate among conventional methods. In this regard, the ANCOVA test, a common linear model that combines the analysis of variance and regression, estimates the effect size better than other common analyzes. In this article, the data of a hypothetical study were analyzed using these two tests to clarify the different results between the independent t-test and the ANCOVA test. The result showed that the obtained effect size from ANCOVA was greater than that from the independent t-test. Therefore, it is suggested that the ANCOVA test be used to analyze the data and estimate the effect size in the pre-post test designs with control group.

The pretest-posttest control group design is one of the most widely used quantitative experimental design models for evaluating the efficacy of programs, treatments, and interventions. Despite the prevalence and utility of this research design, best practices for data analytical procedures are not clearly defined. Invalid results decrease the chance of generalization. Given that Iranian Journals are interested in publishing pretest-posttest control group design studies, it is important to denote the accuracy of them. The aim of the current study is to explore the correct procedure for using ANCOVA in pretest-posttest control group designs to mitigate the potential limitations of this approach. This study explores the use of ANCOVA in pretest-posttest control group design. It has been done by analyzing data from experimental studies published in five Iranian journals indexed in PubMed or Scopus between 2011 and 2018. The results indicate that among the 280 published experimental studies in these journals, 53 papers (18. 9 percent) used ANCOVA as the statistical test in pretest-posttest studies. The power of the test represents the probability of detecting differences between the groups being compared when such differences exist. Our analysis concludes that ANCOVA, which runs a multiple linear regression, is a suitable method for comparing and examining pretest-posttest study designs. Implications of this study have potential utility for researchers employing the use of pretest-posttest control group designs in various fields in and outside of Iran.

Background: Effective communication skills are crucial in healthcare, particularly in the clinical setting where interactions often occur under high stress. This study aimed to identify the educational needs of medical doctors, design a communication skills course, and evaluate its impact on their performance at Yasuj University of Medical Sciences in 2022. Methods: A quasi-experimental, one-group pretest-posttest design was employed involving 196 participants, including medical doctors, nursing staff, and medical students. Intervention consisted of 9 h of communication skill training, containing theory/debriefs and practical group sessions with role-plays. A self-developed questionnaire assessed communication competencies before and after a three-session course focused on enhancing communication skills. Also, perceptions of medical doctors were elicited using content analysis method. Results: Pretest and posttest comparisons revealed significant improvements in several areas, notably in active listening (e. g., “Let the patient finish his/her speech without interrupting” increased from 3. 40 to 4. 43, P<0. 001) and verbal feedback skills (e. g., “Give negative feedback at the right time” improved from 2. 95 to 3. 68, P=0. 016). However, areas such as patient engagement and the use of visual aids showed mixed results, indicating ongoing training is necessary. Overall, participants reported high satisfaction with the course, achieving a mean score of 3. 98. Furthermore, the course was deemed valuable due to its relevance to the workplace and its significant influence on performance outcomes. Conclusion: The communication skills course effectively addressed critical gaps in medical doctors’ communication abilities, enhancing their interactions with patients and colleagues. These findings underscore the importance of integrating continuous communication training into medical education to improve patient outcomes and foster collaborative team dynamics in the clinical settings. Future research should investigate the long-term effects of such training interventions.

BACKGROUND: Medical education is now largely learner centered with self-directed learning. The best method for teaching physical examination skills is difficult to determine. The process by which students examine each other as part of their learning process in anatomy and clinical skills is known as peer physical examination (PPE). The aim of this study was to demonstrate the perceptions of students toward PPE in ear, nose, throat, head, and neck. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018 among 100 medical students after obtaining ethical approval. In the PPE programme, students participated in a small group of 2–3 students. A self-administered questionnaire was also filled out by students before and after the program, which gathered demographic details and responses to the modified Peer Physical Examination Questionnaire (PPEQ). Significant associations (P < 0. 05) were examined using ANOVA analysis. RESULTS: In the present study, 81. 5% of students have previously conducted examinations on fellow students. Prior to the program, the willingness to be examined (for throat) by a peer was 71. 7%, which rose to 95. 7% after the program. Most students replied that “I am concerned about being a possible object of sexual interest during PPE. ” A univariate analysis showed that age, gender, and residence of students were significantly associated with PPEQ scores (P < 0. 05). CONCLUSION: In the present study, it was observed that there was a change in the willingness for PPE before and after the programme and also that there was a change in the perception towards PPE following the program.

Background: Since a high neuraxial block is one of the serious complications in obstetric anesthesia, simulation training is required for the education of rapid diagnosis and treatment of this complication. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a simulation study of the high neuraxial block during epidural analgesia for labor pain on pre-and post-simulation tests in junior clinical trainees, who had graduated a medical school within one or two years and being under a two-month program for anesthesia during the Japanese Postgraduate Medical Education. Methods: Twenty-two junior clinical trainees participated in this study from September 2016 to May 2017. Before the simulation training, the participants answered a pretest, providing written responses on "how to approach and treat the rapid spread of anesthesia (high neuraxial block) in painless epidural delivery" in a bullet-point form. The number of correct answers to 12 items was counted for each participant. These items were as follows: mask ventilation, preparation for tracheal intubation, oxygenation, supraglottic airway placement, checking the breathing, checking oxygen saturation using pulse oximetry, checking blood pressure, ephedrine injection, checking epidural tube, assessing the level of sensory block, assessing the level of consciousness, and left uterine displacement. After performing our original training, all participants were debriefed and written responses were obtained to a posttest containing the same content as the pretest. Results: The percentage of correct answers significantly increased from 8. 3 to 16. 7% (P = 0. 041) after training. The response rates for "mask ventilation" and "check epidural tube" significantly increased from 13. 6 to 54. 5% (P = 0. 004) and from 4. 5 to 27. 3% (P = 0. 039), respectively, after training. Conclusions: Simulation training is likely an effective method for junior clinical trainees on studying diagnosis and treatment of high neuraxial block during epidural analgesia in parturient patients.

Background and Objectives: Social development and emotional intelligence prepare children for school and life. Group games can promote social development and emotional intelligence. The current study aimed at assessing the effects of traditional games on preschool children’ s social development and emotional intelligence. Methods: As a 2-group, pretest-posttest, randomized, controlled trial, the current study was conducted in 2016 on 50 preschool children. Children were selected through cluster sampling from kindergartens in Birjand, Iran, and randomly allocated to intervention and control groups. In the intervention group, children attended sixteen 30-45-minute traditional game sessions held twice weekly in 8 successive weeks, while children in the control group played routine games in the same period. To collect data, the Vineland social maturity scale and the Bradberry-Greaves emotional intelligence test were completed for all participants both before and after the intervention. The data were analyzed with SPSS version 16. 0 by running the Chi-square, the paired-samples t, and the independent-samples t tests as well as the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) at a significance level of < 0. 05. Results: Before the intervention, there were no significant differences between the groups respecting the mean scores of social development and emotional intelligence (P > 0. 05). However, after the intervention, the mean scores of social development and emotional intelligence were significantly higher in the intervention group than the control group (P < 0. 05). Conclusions: Traditional games are effective in improving preschool children’ s social development and emotional intelligence. Parents need to be informed about the positive effects of traditional games and should be encouraged to provide their children with the opportunity to play such games.

Introduction: The use of High Power Laser (HPL) has recently been emphasized in physiotherapy. Previous studies suggest that the prophylactic use of laser has ergogenic effects on athletic performance by increasing the contractile function of skeletal muscles. Recently, muscle function improvement is a new research idea in the field of laser therapy. Based on our knowledge, there are only two studies on the effects of HPL on muscle performance although with contradictory results. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of HPL on quadriceps muscle performance in male football players. Materials and Methods: Sixteen healthy male football players (Mean± SD age=18. 53± 7. 2 years, Mean± SD body mass index=22. 8± 4. 4 kg/m2) participated in a pretest-posttest study. The subjects received one session of HPL (808 nm, 80 j, 2 w) on quadriceps muscles. The Isometric Peak Torque (IPT), Single-Leg Hop Test (SLHT), and Y-balance Test (YBT) were measured at baseline and immediately after HPL. For statistical analysis, we used the paired sample t test. Results: Immediately after HPL, the IPT (P=0. 001), SLHT (P=0. 02), and YBT scores (P=0. 001) significantly increased. Conclusion: The results of our study showed that immediate application of one session of HPL can improve IPT as well as functional tests. Although the sessions of laser application and assessment were limited and the sample size was small, it seems that HPL could improve muscle performance. Therefore, further research is warranted with large sample size and follow-up.