Journal of surgical education
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Development of a novel iPad-based laparoscopic trainer and comparison with a standard laparoscopic trainer for basic laparoscopic skills testing.
We developed the iTrainer (iT) as a portable laparoscopic trainer, which incorporates the iPad tablet. We then compared the iT with a standard pelvic trainer (SPT) to assess surgical skills as well as its image quality, resolution, brightness, comfort, and overall performance. ⋯ We have demonstrated face validity and criterion validity for the thread-the-loops task on the iT. The iT rated superior in image quality and resolution but inferior in overall performance compared with the SPT. The iT provides trainees a unique advantage over SPT as an additional resource to laparoscopic training as it is inexpensive, portable, and can be readily available for training.
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Following our preliminary study on junior medical students' comfort levels in performing the head and neck physical examination (H&NPE) before and after a department-led teaching session, we assessed the longitudinal effect of this session on students during the core clinical clerkship year, in which these skills were performed on real patients. ⋯ The initial teaching session persistently improved medical students' comfort levels in performing the H&NPE, with some attrition in comfort levels with performing the nasal examination and complete H&NPE. An otolaryngologist-directed, practical educational intervention may permanently reinforce the acquisition of complex skills such as the H&NPE.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effect of instructor feedback on skills retention after laparoscopic simulator training: follow-up of a randomized trial.
Instructor feedback reduces the number of repetitions and time to reach proficiency during laparoscopic simulator training. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of instructor feedback on long-term skill retention. ⋯ Instructor feedback during proficiency-based laparoscopic simulator training does not affect the long-term retention of skills.
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Multicenter Study
Awareness of surgical costs: a multicenter cross-sectional survey.
Resource scarcity continues to be an important problem in modern surgical practice. Studies in North America and Europe have found that medical professionals have limited understanding of the costs of medical care. No cost awareness studies have been undertaken in Australasia or specifically focusing on the surgical team. This study determined the cost of a range of commonly used diagnostic tests, procedures, and hospital resources associated with care of the surgical patient. The surgical teams' awareness of these costs was then assessed in a multicenter cross-sectional survey. ⋯ There is poor awareness of surgical costs among consultant surgeons, registrars, and junior physicians working in Australasia.
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Comparative Study
Estimation of mortality risk for vascular operations by trainees vs attending surgeons.
The development of the ability to estimate patient mortality preoperatively in surgical trainees has not been well studied. ⋯ Surgeons in training overestimated the perioperative mortality risk of operations and were willing to tolerate a greater mortality risk compared with attending surgeons. Both trainee and attending surgeons tended to overestimate the perioperative mortality risk compared with that calculated by VASQIP.