American journal of surgery
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Intraoperative decision making requires both knowledge and experience. The script concordance test (SCT), based on cognitive psychology script theory, is a new tool of clinical-reasoning assessment that may be used to evaluate a candidate's approach to ill-defined problems encountered in the operating room. ⋯ SCT, applied to the assessment of intraoperative clinical judgment, can discriminate successfully between junior and senior residents. Results from an SCT test must be compared with the present gold standard, the oral examination, to better determine its place as an assessment tool.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Virtual-reality training improves angled telescope skills in novice laparoscopists.
Based on prior success of virtual-reality (VR) trainers in imparting surgical skills, a randomized and controlled study was designed to determine whether VR training improves angled-telescope operative performance. ⋯ VR training in angled laparoscope use improves operative performance of novices. These data support growing evidence that VR training is highly effective in improving surgical skills outside of the clinical setting.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Talactoferrin alfa, a recombinant human lactoferrin promotes healing of diabetic neuropathic ulcers: a phase 1/2 clinical study.
Talactoferrin alfa, a recombinant form of human lactoferrin, is a novel immunomodulatory protein with demonstrated ulcer healing properties in animal models. ⋯ Topical talactoferrin appears to be safe and well tolerated and improves healing of diabetic neuropathic ulcers.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Verbal feedback from an expert is more effective than self-accessed feedback about motion efficiency in learning new surgical skills.
Teaching of technical surgical skills to undergraduate medical students in a laboratory setting away from the patient is not common practice. Because of the large volume of students and shortage of available teaching faculty new methods of teaching must be developed for this group of trainees. In this study we examined the effectiveness of computer-based video training, different types of computer-based motion efficiency feedback (with and without expert criteria), and expert feedback on learning of a basic technical skill in medical students. ⋯ Verbal feedback from an expert instructor led to lasting improvements in technical skills performance. Providing information about motion efficiency did not lead to similar improvements.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The use of cognitive task analysis to improve the learning of percutaneous tracheostomy placement.
The purpose of the current study was to determine the effectiveness of using cognitive task analysis (CTA) to develop a curriculum to teach the behavioral skills and the cognitive strategies of a percutaneous tracheostomy (PT) placement. ⋯ The use of CTA was effective in improving the cognitive processes and technical skills of performing a PT for surgical residents.