Development of simulator guidelines for resident assessment in flexible endoscopy

Area of Science:

• Medical Simulation
• Surgical Education
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Virtual reality (VR) simulators offer potential for objective assessment of surgical trainee skills.
• Flexible endoscopy training traditionally relies on supervised practice, with assessment variability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To pilot a virtual reality flexible endoscopy course for surgical trainees.
• To establish the relationship between VR simulator metrics and trainee proficiency.
• To evaluate VR simulation as an assessment tool for endoscopy readiness.

Main Methods:

• A pilot course using the CAE EndoscopyVR simulator was administered to senior surgical residents.
• Trainees completed upper endoscopy and colonoscopy modules after didactic instruction.
• Proficiency was defined by meeting simulator-set standards; data included time to proficiency and simulator metrics.

Main Results:

• Experienced residents achieved proficiency rapidly, with average times of 6 minutes for upper endoscopy and 13 minutes for colonoscopy.
• Proficiency was typically reached within one to two task repetitions.
• Subjective evaluations indicated improved knowledge and comfort with endoscopic equipment.

Conclusions:

• Virtual reality simulation provides a reliable method for assessing flexible endoscopy skills in surgical trainees.
• VR simulator metrics can serve as objective guidelines for evaluating resident readiness for endoscopic procedures.
• VR-based training and assessment can efficiently prepare residents for clinical endoscopy.