The goal of this observational study is to develop and evaluate a virtual teaching method for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) skills among novice learners, using widely available technology and incorporating objective assessments of proficiency. The main questions it aims to answer are: Can MIS skills be effectively taught to novice learners through a virtual platform using widely available technology? How do virtual and face-to-face (F2F) teaching methods compare in terms of effectiveness, measured by performance in MIS tasks and cognitive workload parameters? Participants in this study will: Be randomly allocated to either F2F or virtual teaching groups. Undergo training and evaluation using validated laparoscopic assessments, namely the McGill Inanimate System for Training and Evaluation of Laparoscopic Skills (MISTELS) peg transfer task and the European Academy laparoscopic 'Suturing Training and Testing' (SUTT) assessment. Have their performance and cognitive workload parameters (SURG-TLX score, heart rate, and pupil metrics) evaluated during the tasks.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
20
Virtual teaching of laparoscopic skills
St Mary's Hospital
London, United Kingdom
McGill Inanimate System for Training and Evaluation of Laparoscopic Skills (MISTELS) peg transfer task score
Time to completion of task (minutes)
Time frame: Two days
European Academy laparoscopic 'Suturing Training and Testing' (SUTT) assessment score
Time to completion of task (minutes)
Time frame: Two days
SURG-TLX score
Workload score ranging from 0 to 100
Time frame: Two days
Heart rate
Beats per minute
Time frame: Two days
Pupil metrics
Mean pupil size (mm) and blinks per minute
Time frame: Two days
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