VR Simulation Leads to Enhanced Procedural Confidence for Surgical Trainees.

OBJECTIVE

Active learning techniques result in greater knowledge acquisition compared to passive methods. For medical students with limited hands-on operative experiences, virtual reality platforms represent active learning and may enhance procedural training. We hypothesize that virtual reality simulators like Toolkit for Illustration of Procedures in Surgery (TIPS) are a more effective modality in teaching laparoscopic surgical techniques to medical students when compared to passive learning tools like videos.

DESIGN

In this crossover study, participants were randomly assigned to perform either a TIPS laparoscopic appendectomy followed by video of a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, or video of a laparoscopic appendectomy followed by TIPS laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A knowledge assessment followed each intervention. A postsurvey was used to gather feedback and subjective impressions of the learning experience.

SETTING

University of Central Florida College of Medicine.

PARTICIPANTS

Second, third, and fourth-year medical students (n = 37).

RESULTS

Validation of the content assessments revealed strong internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.73). A 2-tailed Fisher's exact test revealed that the video had greater ease of use (p = 0.032), but TIPS had greater utility as a learning tool (p < 0.001) and instilled greater confidence in the ability to reproduce procedural steps (p < 0.001). A 2-tailed t test of the average content quiz scores revealed no significant difference in percentage correct between groups on the laparoscopic appendectomy quiz (p = 0.772), but a difference favoring video learning on the laparoscopic cholecystectomy quiz (p = 0.042) CONCLUSIONS: Video and TIPS both enhanced different aspects of student learning; however, the active TIPS platform produced greater confidence in the ability to reproduce the steps of the procedure and had greater utility as a learning strategy. Videos are simple to use and can serve a complementary role in curriculum design.