Will the Playstation generation become better endoscopic surgeons?
Koen W van Dongen1, Egbert-Jan M M Verleisdonk, Marlies P Schijven
1Department of Surgery, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands. kvdongen@tsz.nl
Surgical Endoscopy
|March 19, 2011
Summary
Adults with videogame experience show better psychomotor skills for endoscopic surgery. Childhood gaming does not significantly impact children's skills, but may benefit future surgeons.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Surgical Simulation
- Human Factors
Background:
- The
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if the
Main Methods:
- 46 participants (interns and schoolchildren) were divided into groups based on videogame experience.
- Participants performed four tasks on a virtual reality simulator for basic endoscopic skills.
- Statistical analyses included ANOVA and Student's t test to compare mean scores.
Main Results:
- Interns with videogame experience demonstrated significantly higher total scores, efficiency, and speed.
- No significant differences in total scores, efficiency, or speed were found between schoolchildren with and without videogame experience.
- Precision scores did not differ significantly between groups for either interns or schoolchildren.
Conclusions:
- Videogame experience in childhood did not confer superior psychomotor skills for endoscopic surgery in children.
- Adults with videogame experience showed an advantage in psychomotor skills relevant to endoscopic surgery.
- Childhood videogame experience may benefit the next generation of surgeons.
