Virtual Temporal Bone Surgery: Defining and Translating Metrics

Overview

The goal of this project is to improve the efficiency of training and assessment of technical skill in surgical treatment of otologic disease. Through previous funding, we have developed an intuitive virtual simulation environment to be used as an adjuvant for teaching temporal bone surgery. Using direct-volume visualization techniques with integrated stereoscopic display, haptic (force) feedback, and aural simulation, we have achieved a straightforward, low-cost learning environment ready for translation into a practical training and assessment tool. This application challenges and seeks to shift current practice in clinical training by translating the simulation environment into a vehicle for curriculum development, technical skills assessment, and dissemination. The intent is to provide more accessible, inexpensive, safe, and deliberate practice with objective and continuous quantitative, objective assessment in the early stages of training.

The aims of this research include: 1) definition of standardized metrics for otological surgical techniques, 2) the translation of those standards into objective criteria for use in a computer synthesized surgical environment, and 3) the correlation between expert evaluation and computer automated assessment of resident proficiency. The interactions will be computer-based and include: Experts will learn to use the system so that they can evaluate the quality of translation of metrics to the simulation environment. Evaluations will be in the form of anonymous web-based surveys. Experts serve as a focus group. Residents will use the simulation environment to perform surgical procedures on virtual specimens. Residents will then evaluate the quality of the simulation environment via anonymous web-based surveys. Experts will use the simulation environment to evaluate and rate the residents performance. The computer environment will be used to automatically assess and rate the residents performance. Expert and computer assessment will be compared.

Conditions