Current Research Projects-Diagnostic Radiology Experience

Simulation Gains Residents' Satisfaction in Lapraroscopy Training
Mohamad W. Salkini MD, Shane Johnson MD, Alyson Knapp BS, Allan Hamilton MD

Introduction: Minimally Invasive Surgery is well known to have long learning curves. Simulation, however, has great potential to improve laparoscopy training. We evaluated simulation from the surgical residents point of view and their satisfaction about this training modality. 

Method: We developed inanimate tasks for laparoscopic training, and asked the surgery, urology, ob/gyn residents to perform them in the laparoscopic training boxes. The task block were designed to gradually fulfill some of the basic laparoscopic skills.
The trainees ware surveyed after the training whether the training increased their competency, improved their handling of the laparoscopic equipments, and increased their self confidence. Also whether they acquired more laparoscopic skills,enjoyed the simulation, and are willing to do more such a training. They were asked to rate their satisfaction from 1-5, as 1 is the extreme dissatisfaction and 5 is the highest satisfaction.

Result: The training was avaraged by the residents to increase their competency to 4.32, improve their handling of the laparoscopic equipments to 4.86, and increase their self confidence to 4.41. They Also avaraged their aquisition of laparoscopic skills to 4.55 , their enjoyment to 4.45, and their will to do more of such a training to 4.68.

Conclusion: Residents feel highly satisfied about laparoscopic simulation since it is safe environment to aquire the basic laparoscopic skills without jeopardizing patients' well being.

View a PDF of the poster presented at Arizona Health Sciences Center Frontiers in Biomedical Research Poster Forum, Dec. 2006.