title: Skills assessment using a virtual reality simulator, LapSim, after training to develop fundamental skills for endoscopic surgery.
abstract: Education and training to maintain medical safety are very important within clinical settings. We have established a training center for endoscopic surgery and we regularly hold a unique training course, which focuses on the development of fundamental skills. One hundred and ninety-four surgeons who participated in our training course were divided into four groups according to their experience in performing laparoscopic procedures. Group 1: 0-19 laparoscopic procedures (n=44). Group 2: 20-49 laparoscopic procedures (n=53). Group 3: 50-99 laparoscopic procedures (n=46). Group 4: more than 100 laparoscopic procedures (n=55). All subjects underwent evaluation for "Lifting & Grasping" using a virtual reality (VR) simulator, LapSim, before and after the training course. The mean efficiency score, time to completion and tissue damage after training were significantly improved after the training as compared with before training. Before training, subjects with greater experience had better scores. However, the only significant difference in the score was between the low experience group and greatest experience group. After training, the score increased in all groups compared with that before training, and there was no significant difference between groups. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using a VR simulator to assess fundamental skills for endoscopic surgery after training. We found that the scores for the task were associated with the level of experience of the surgeons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Advanced Medicine and Innovative Technology, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan. tanoue_k@dem.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanoue
authors.forename: Munenori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uemura
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kenmotsu
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ieiri
authors.forename: Kozo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Konishi
authors.forename: Kenoki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohuchida
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Onimaru
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagao
authors.forename: Ryuichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumashiro
authors.forename: Morimasa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomikawa
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashizume
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000592:standards*; D014584:User-Computer Interface