Interventional pain training using phantom model during COVID-19 pandemic.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pain Management
• Radiological Safety

Background:

• Fluoroscopic-guided lumbar procedures are crucial for treating common back pain.
• Interventional pain fellows require specific skills and radiological safety training.
• The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted traditional medical training for these procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a lumbar phantom model as a training strategy for interventional pain fellows during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To assess the effectiveness of simulation-based training in fluoroscopic-guided lumbar injections.
• To measure improvements in procedural skills, confidence, and safety.

Main Methods:

• A training program with theoretical and practical modules using a lumbar phantom model.
• Hands-on practice included four fluoroscopic-guided approaches: intra-articular facet block, medial branch block, transforaminal block, and interlaminar block.
• Key metrics: total procedural performance, needle hand time, radiation dose, and pre/post-training confidence surveys.

Main Results:

• 320 lumbar punctures were successfully completed on the phantom model.
• Statistically significant improvements (p < 0.01) were observed in all procedural approaches.
• Fellows reported significant increases in confidence and satisfaction post-training (p < 0.01).

Conclusions:

• Phantom model simulation is a viable educational strategy for interventional pain training.
• This approach is adaptable for future disruptions, similar to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Integrating simulation enhances patient and operator radiological safety in pain management programs.