Inheriting the Learner's View: A Google Glass-Based Wearable Computing Platform for Improving Surgical Trainee...

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education
• Medical Technology
• Human Factors Engineering

Background:

• Real-time instructor visualization of trainee's operative viewpoint may enhance surgical training.
• Wearable systems can provide instructors access to otherwise blind operative field areas.
• Hypothesized that a wearable surgical visualization system could improve trainee performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a wearable surgical visualization system on surgical trainee performance.
• To assess the system's effect on accuracy and time to task completion.
• To gather user feedback on the system's usability and utility.

Main Methods:

• 11 surgery residents used a wearable visualization system (Google Glass with CrowdOptic software).
• Instructors viewed the learner's real-time video feed to guide needle placement in a simulated task.
• Composite error scores and time to task completion were measured; an exit questionnaire was administered.

Main Results:

• Wearable system use did not significantly alter time to task completion.
• Mean composite error score significantly decreased with system deployment, indicating improved needle placement accuracy.
• Participants found the device unobtrusive, easy to operate, and beneficial for communication.

Conclusions:

• Wearable surgical visualization systems may serve as valuable educational tools for surgical training.
• The learner's perspective, when visualized by the instructor, enhances surgical skill acquisition.
• Further research into wearable technology's efficacy in operating room settings is recommended.