Individualized Deliberate Practice on a Virtual Reality Simulator

Education Clinical Trial

Official title:

Individualized Deliberate Practice on a Virtual Reality Simulator Improves Technical Performance of Surgical Novices in the Operating Room: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT01753947
• Other study ID #: Deliberate Practice
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: December 7, 2012
• Last updated: December 17, 2012
• Start date: January 2008
• Est. completion date: January 2011

Study information

• Verified date: December 2012
• Source: St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: Canada: Ethics Review Committee
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial 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.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 16
• Est. completion date: January 2011
• Est. primary completion date: January 2011
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Both
• Age group: N/A and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• post graduate year 1 and 2 surgical residents

• performed less than 10 laparoscopic cholecystectomies as the primary surgeon

Exclusion Criteria:

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Single Blind (Subject)

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Education
• General Surgery

Intervention

Other:
• Deliberate Practice

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Canada	University of Toronto	Toronto	Ontario

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto	Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Canada, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Technical skills	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)	6 months	No