RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Feasibility and fidelity of practising surgical fixation on a virtual ulna bone
JF Canadian Journal of Surgery
JO CAN J SURG
FD Canadian Medical Association
SP E91
OP E97
DO 10.1503/cjs.010912
VO 56
IS 4
A1 Justin LeBlanc
A1 Carol Hutchison
A1 Yaoping Hu
A1 Tyrone Donnon
YR 2013
UL http://canjsurg.ca/content/56/4/E91.abstract
AB Background: Surgical simulators provide a safe environment to learn and practise psychomotor skills. A goal for these simulators is to achieve high levels of fidelity. The purpose of this study was to develop a reliable surgical simulator fidelity questionnaire and to assess whether a newly developed virtual haptic simulator for fixation of an ulna has comparable levels of fidelity as Sawbones.Methods: Simulator fidelity questionnaires were developed. We performed a stratified randomized study with surgical trainees. They performed fixation of the ulna using a virtual simulator and Sawbones. They completed the fidelity questionnaires after each procedure.Results: Twenty-two trainees participated in the study. The reliability of the fidelity questionnaire for each separate domain (environment, equipment, psychological) was Cronbach α greater than 0.70, except for virtual environment. The Sawbones had significantly higher levels of fidelity than the virtual simulator (p < 0.001) with a large effect size difference (Cohen d < 1.3).Conclusion: The newly developed fidelity questionnaire is a reliable tool that can potentially be used to determine the fidelity of other surgical simulators. Increasing the fidelity of this virtual simulator is required before its use as a training tool for surgical fixation. The virtual simulator brings with it the added benefits of repeated, independent safe use with immediate, objective feedback and the potential to alter the complexity of the skill.