Validity evidence of a new virtual reality simulator for phacoemulsification training in cataract surgery

This study aims to assess validity evidence of the new phacoemulsification module of the HelpMeSee [HMS] virtual reality simulator. Conducted at the Ophthalmology Department of Strasbourg University Hospital and Gepromed Education Department, Strasbourg, France, this cross-sectional study divided 20 surgeons into two groups based on their experience over or under 300 cataract surgeries. Surgeons filled out a background survey covering their phacoemulsification experience and prior simulator use before undergoing single-session simulations on the EyeSi [EYS] and HMS simulators. Handgrip strength was measured pre- and post-simulation to evaluate grip fatigue. Afterwards, surgeons rated the perceived realism on a seven-point Likert scale. Participants were predominantly right-handed males, with expert surgeons averaging 44 years and intermediate surgeons 29 years of age. Expert surgeons had completed around 2000 phacoemulsification surgeries compared to 150 by intermediates. Primary outcome was to assess the construct validity of HMS simulator based on the difference in total and modules scores between both groups. Significant performance differences were observed between the two groups, with experts scoring higher. HMS scores were 35.8 ± 1.5 out of 46 points for experts and 27.2 ± 2.3 for intermediates (p = 0.006). For EYS, scores were 405.2 ± 20.3 out of 500 points for experts and 327.8 ± 25.2 for intermediates (p = 0.028). Experts experienced significantly less grip fatigue post-simulation on HMS compared to intermediates. This research evaluates validity evidence of HMS's phacoemulsification modules for the first time. It emphasizes the potential to broaden simulation-based training by targeting diverse populations.