Improving surgical skills with feedback: directly-observed versus video-recorded practice

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Skills Training
• Psychomotor Skill Development

Background:

• Medical schools are tasked with educating students in fundamental surgical skills.
• Effective feedback is crucial for psychomotor skill acquisition, guiding performance improvement and boosting motivation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of video-recorded feedback (VDO-feedback) versus face-to-face feedback (F2F-feedback) on surgical skill improvement, motivation, and satisfaction.
• To evaluate the long-term retention of skills acquired through different feedback methods.

Main Methods:

• Fifty-eight medical students practiced vertical mattress sutures and were randomized to receive either VDO-feedback or F2F-feedback over six weeks.
• Skill assessment occurred at four time points using a performance checklist; motivation and satisfaction were evaluated via questionnaire.
• Feedback was administered every two weeks, with an end-of-rotation OSCE and a retention test at eight weeks.

Main Results:

• Both VDO-feedback and F2F-feedback significantly enhanced surgical skills and led to comparable skill retention for at least four weeks.
• Students in both groups showed significant improvements in self-efficacy, test anxiety, and cognitive strategies.
• The VDO-feedback group experienced a notable increase in extrinsic motivation, with no significant difference in overall satisfaction between the groups.

Conclusions:

• VDO-feedback is an effective alternative to F2F-feedback for basic surgical skill training, particularly when scheduling constraints limit direct teacher-student interaction.
• Both feedback modalities contribute to skill development, motivation, and long-term retention in surgical education.