Mannequin simulation improves the confidence of medical students performing tube thoracostomy: a prospective, controlled trial.
This study was undertaken to determine the educational benefits of mannequin simulation for performance of tube thoracostomy in a porcine model by medical students. Thirty medical students were randomized into two groups; the first performed tube thoracostomy on a mannequin simulator and then a porcine model; the second used only the porcine model. Performance measures included completion of subtasks, time to perform the procedure, a global score assigned by faculty raters, and a self-evaluation survey. Subtask completion rate was similar in both groups (P > 0.05). Mean time to perform the procedure was 9.8 minutes (+/- 0.9, simulator), and 9.3 minutes (+/- 1.0, nonsimulator, P > 0.05). Global scores were 12.3 (+/- 1.3, simulator) and 11.0 (+/- 1.4, non-simulator, P > 0.05). Self-evaluation of confidence (1 = "very", 7 = "not at all") showed the simulator group was significantly more confident (3.4 +/- 0.42) than the nonsimulator group (4.7 +/- 0.49, P < 0.05). All students met basic competencies to perform tube thoracostomy. The simulator group felt significantly more confident to subsequently perform the procedure on a patient, whereas performance was not statistically significantly different for the two groups. Further trials may be needed to delineate the optimal role for these simulators in teaching tube thoracostomy.
Medical Simulation Center, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan.
Shuji
S
Hishikawa
Masaki
M
Kawano
Hozumi
H
Tanaka
Kenjiro
K
Konno
Yoshikazu
Y
Yasuda
Ryutaro
R
Kawano
Eiji
E
Kobayashi
Alan T
AT
Lefor
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008348:Manikins; D013552:Swine; D013556:Swine, Miniature; D013907:Thoracostomy / Q000193:education*