title: Simulation-based training for burr hole surgery instrument recognition.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The use of simulation training in postgraduate medical education is an area of rapidly growing popularity and research. This study was designed to assess the impact of simulation training for instrument knowledge and recognition among neurosurgery residents.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a randomized control trial of first year residents from neurosurgery residency training programs across Canada. Eighteen neurosurgery trainees were recruited to test two simulation-based applications: PeriopSim™ Instrument Trainer and PeriopSim™ for Burr Hole Surgery. The intervention was game-based simulation training for learning neurosurgical instruments and applying this knowledge to identify correct instruments during a simulated burr hole surgery procedure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants showed significant overall improvement in total score (p < 0.0005), number of errors (p = 0.019) and time saved (p < 0.0005), over three testing sessions when using the PeriopSim™ Instrument Trainer. Participants demonstrated further performance-trained improvements when using PeriopSim™ Burr Hole Surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Training in the recognition and utilization of simulated surgical instruments by neurosurgery residents improved significantly with repetition when using PeriopSim™ Instrument Trainer and PeriopSim™ for Burr Hole Surgery.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, QEII Health Sciences Centre, 1796 Summer Street, Halifax, NS, B3H 3A7, Canada.|Brain Repair Centre, Dalhousie University, 1348 Summer Street, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada.
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, QEII Health Sciences Centre, 1796 Summer Street, Halifax, NS, B3H 3A7, Canada.
authors.forename: Nelofar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kureshi
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, QEII Health Sciences Centre, 1796 Summer Street, Halifax, NS, B3H 3A7, Canada.
authors.forename: Murray
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sadeghi
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Applied Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada. rdarcy@sfu.ca.
authors.forename: Ryan C N
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: D'Arcy
mesh_terms: D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D002170:Canada; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003198:Computer Simulation / Q000592:standards; D003479:Curriculum; D004521:Educational Measurement; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D009493:Neurosurgery / Q000193:education*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D000066908:Simulation Training / Q000592:standards*; D014584:User-Computer Interface
keywords: Education; Neurosurgery; Postgraduate surgical education; Simulation