Abstract
Objective: Determine if the use of an iPhone application (DizzyFIX - Clearwater Clinical Ltd) designed to assist in the performance of the particle repositioning maneuver (PRM) for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) had a significant impact on medical students’ performance.
Method: Study design: Randomized, single-blinded, prospective trial. Setting: Tertiary Care Hospital. Participants: Medical students. Intervention(s): Forty-one participants performed the PRM and were scored by a blinded observer. Twenty-one participants used the application while the remainder used a sham. Main outcome measure(s): PRM score, graded on an 11-point scale, and total time.
Results: Participants randomized to the iPhone application group scored higher on their observed performance of the PRM than the placebo group (P < .0001) with a mean difference of 4.98 points. Participants randomized to the placebo group consistently performed the maneuver faster (P < .0001) than those who had a functional iPhone application. The average placebo participant performed the maneuver in only 79.9 seconds while participants in the test group averaged 245.8 seconds. In summary, initial testing demonstrated that participants using the DizzyFix iPhone application conducted the PRM more accurately and slowly than the participants using a placebo.
Conclusion: The use of this new iPhone application enables senior medical students to perform a more correct PRM than without assistance. This application represents a significant improvement from written instructions and standard medical school training.
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