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Performing under pressure: quiet eye training improves surgical knot-tying performance
Joe Causer1, Joan N Vickers2, Ryan Snelgrove3
1Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
Surgery
|August 25, 2014
Summary
Quiet eye training (QET) improves surgical knot tying performance under anxiety, unlike traditional technical training (TT). QET enhances gaze and hand movements, crucial for medical educators and surgeons.
Area of Science:
- Surgical Education
- Motor Skill Acquisition
- Cognitive-Motor Performance
Background:
- Surgical residents require proficient technical skills, such as knot tying.
- Anxiety can negatively impact performance in high-stakes medical procedures.
- Traditional technical training (TT) may not adequately address performance under stress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of quiet eye training (QET) versus traditional technical training (TT) on surgical knot tying.
- To evaluate the impact of anxiety on performance following different training methods.
- To assess the influence of gaze behavior training on surgical skill acquisition.
Main Methods:
- Twenty surgery residents were randomized into TT or QET groups.
- Participants completed pretest, training, and retention tests under low and high anxiety.
- Eye tracking measured gaze behavior (quiet eye duration, fixations) and hand movements (total movement time).
Main Results:
- Both groups improved knot tying under low anxiety, with QET showing greater gains (28% vs. 17%).
- Only the QET group maintained performance under high anxiety (18% improvement), while TT performance declined.
- QET led to more efficient gaze and hand movements post-training.
Conclusions:
- Training gaze behaviors (QET) enhances surgical skill effectiveness and efficiency.
- QET mitigates the negative impact of anxiety on performance, unlike TT.
- Findings are relevant for medical educators, practitioners, and surgeons retraining or learning new procedures.
