Real-time visualisation and analysis of internal examinations--seeing the unseen

Area of Science:

• Medical Education Technology
• Diagnostic Skills Training
• Haptic Simulation

Background:

• Digital Rectal Examination (DRE) and bimanual Vaginal Examination (BVE) are essential diagnostic skills.
• The subjective and unsighted nature of these examinations presents significant teaching and learning challenges.
• Current methods lack objective metrics for assessing proficiency in DRE and BVE.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel framework for teaching and assessing internal examinations.
• To provide real-time, objective feedback during Digital Rectal Examination and bimanual Vaginal Examination training.
• To inform the design of future haptics-based simulators for medical training.

Main Methods:

• A framework integrating visualization, analysis tools, and position/pressure sensors was developed.
• Experiments involved performing DRE and BVE on benchtop models.
• BVE was also performed on Gynaecological Teaching Assistants (GTAs) to gather real-world data.

Main Results:

• The framework successfully captured continuous trajectory and pressure data during internal examinations.
• Preliminary results indicate the potential for objective insights into adequate DRE and BVE techniques.
• The system demonstrated feasibility for providing real-time feedback.

Conclusions:

• The proposed methodology offers a novel approach to objectively study and teach internal examinations.
• This framework can provide valuable real-time feedback for learners and educators.
• The data gathered can guide the development of advanced haptic simulators for medical training.