Preclinical training in bronchoscopic diagnosis of cancer

This study evaluated educational effectiveness of preclinical training of residents in diagnostic bronchoscopic techniques which used videotaped programs. Sixty-five residents in eleven medical centers were randomized. Experimental subjects viewed five videotaped programs dealing with bronchoscopic anatomy and pathology. Following their tenth clinical experience in bronchoscopic diagnosis, performance of both experimental and control subjects was objectively evaluated using a Visual Discrimination Test (VDT) that contained six videotaped sequences in suspected cancer patients. Clinical performance was subjectively evaluated by teachers who used a list of Minimum Competency Requirements (MCRs). Experimental subjects provided a significantly greater number of correct answers in the VDT and achieved higher scores for the MCRs that were specifically related to recognition of bronchoscopic anatomy and pathology. This study demonstrated that preclinical training using videotaped programs could improve visual perception and discrimination skills of residents in their bronchoscopic examination of patients with suspected cases of cancer.