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Construct and concurrent validity of a Nintendo Wii video game made for training basic laparoscopic skills
M B Jalink1, J Goris, E Heineman
1Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, De Brug, room 5.062, P.O. Box 30 001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands, maartenjalink@hotmail.com.
Surgical Endoscopy
|September 25, 2013
Summary
A new Nintendo Wii game effectively trains basic laparoscopic skills, showing high validity. Experts performed significantly better than novices, validating its use in surgical education.
Area of Science:
- Surgical Education
- Medical Simulation
- Game-Based Learning
Background:
- Virtual reality (VR) laparoscopic simulators are effective but often unengaging and inaccessible for surgical training.
- A custom Nintendo Wii game was developed as a low-cost, engaging alternative for basic laparoscopic skills acquisition.
- Validation is crucial before integrating this video game into surgical curricula.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate the construct and concurrent validity of a prototype Nintendo Wii laparoscopic simulator.
- To assess the usability of the Wii Laparoscopy game for training basic surgical skills.
Main Methods:
- Compared laparoscopic skill performance between surgical experts (n=15) and novices (n=15) using the Wii Laparoscopy prototype.
- Assessed construct validity by comparing expert and novice performance.
- Evaluated concurrent validity by correlating Wii Laparoscopy scores with the established Fundamentals of Laparoscopy (FLS) Peg Transfer test.
Main Results:
- Experts were 111% faster than novices on the Wii Laparoscopy task (P=0.001).
- A significant, high correlation (r=0.812, P<0.001) was found between Wii Laparoscopy scores and the FLS Peg Transfer test results.
Conclusions:
- The Wii Laparoscopy prototype demonstrates strong construct and concurrent validity.
- This game-based simulator shows potential as an effective tool for laparoscopic skills training.