Surgical cognitive simulation improves real-world surgical performance: randomized study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Human factors are acknowledged in surgery, but psychological methods for performance enhancement are underutilized.
• Limited evidence exists on effective psychological techniques for surgeons.
• Novel approaches like cognitive training are needed to address surgical performance challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of surgical cognitive simulation (SCS) training on surgical performance.
• To assess the practical application and subjective benefits of SCS for surgical trainees.

Main Methods:

• Surgical trainees were assigned to intervention (SCS training) and control groups.
• The intervention group applied SCS techniques in operating theatres.
• Procedure-based assessments and subjective evaluations were conducted before and after training.

Main Results:

• The intervention group showed statistically significant improvements in 11 of 16 assessment domains (P < 0.050).
• A significant mean reduction in procedure completion time was observed in the intervention group (-15.98 min; P = 0.024).
• Subjective feedback highlighted SCS benefits in preoperative preparedness, intraoperative focus, and overall performance.

Conclusions:

• SCS training significantly enhances surgical performance.
• Surgeons can effectively apply SCS techniques in clinical practice.
• SCS shows potential as a valuable tool for surgical skill acquisition.