Video gamers demonstrate superior bronchoscopy skills among beginners

Area of Science:

• Medical Simulation
• Respiratory Medicine
• Human Factors Engineering

Background:

• Previous research links video gaming to medical procedure proficiency.
• Studies specifically examining video gaming and bronchoscopy skills are limited.
• Bronchoscopy requires fine motor skills and spatial awareness, potentially transferable from gaming.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of video gaming experience on bronchoscopy skills.
• To assess if gaming proficiency correlates with performance in simulated bronchoscopy among beginners.
• To compare skill acquisition between gamers and non-gamers in a bronchoscopy context.

Main Methods:

• A simulator was used to measure observational time during bronchoscopy.
• Participants were categorized into inexperienced and experienced bronchoscopy groups.
• Video gaming skills were assessed via game completion time (SPLATOON 2), with gamers and non-gamers compared within the inexperienced group.

Main Results:

• A moderate linear relationship was found between bronchoscopic observation time and game completion time in the inexperienced group (r=0.453, p=0.030).
• No significant correlation was observed in the experienced group (r=0.268, p=0.283).
• Inexperienced gamers showed significantly shorter bronchoscopic observation times (median [range]: 200 [129-229] s) compared to non-gamers (281 [184-342] s, p=0.005).

Conclusions:

• Video gaming skills are associated with improved bronchoscopy technique in individuals with limited experience.
• Gaming may enhance skills crucial for novice bronchoscopists, such as spatial reasoning and fine motor control.
• Further research could explore incorporating gaming-based training to improve bronchoscopy proficiency.