Individualized Deliberate Practice on a Virtual Reality Simulator

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Education; General Surgery
• Interventions: Other: Deliberate Practice

• Registration Number: NCT01753947
• Lead Sponsor: Unity Health Toronto

Brief Summary

Training on simulated models in a surgical skills laboratory has been shown to improve technical performance in the operating room. Currently described simulation-based curricula consist of trainees practicing the same tasks until expert proficiency is reached. It has yet to be investigated whether individualized deliberate practice, where curricula tasks vary depending on prior levels of technical proficiency, would translate to the operating room.

This randomized controlled trial effectively demonstrates that deliberate practice on a virtual reality simulator results in an improvement in technical skills in a real clinical situation. This enhances the feasibility of implementing simulation-based curricula into residency training programs, and consequently has the potential to improve patient safety.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2008-01
• Primary Completion: 2011-01
• Study Completion: 2011-01
• Status Verified: 2012-12
• Study First Submitted: 2012-12-07
• Study First Submitted QC: 2012-12-17
• Last Update Submitted: 2012-12-17
• Study First Posted: 2012-12-20
• Last Update Posted: 2012-12-20

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 16

Inclusion Criteria

• post graduate year 1 and 2 surgical residents
• performed less than 10 laparoscopic cholecystectomies as the primary surgeon

Exclusion Criteria

• n/a

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Deliberate Practice	Deliberate Practice	Residents in the deliberate practice group received individualized feedback at the end of the initial assessment case. The staff surgeon supervising the case completed 3 previously validated technical skills assessment forms.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Technical skills	6 months	Participants' technical skills will be assessed in the operating room as they perform a laparoscopic cholecystectomy under supervision. The procedure will be video-recorded and sent for assessment to a blinded evaluator. Technical skills will be assessed using a previously validated technical skills assessment tool (Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill - OSATS)

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Toronto; 🇨🇦 Toronto, Ontario, Canada