Enhancing surgical instrument assembly training through virtual reality: A case study on laparoscopic forceps.

Area of Science:

• Medical Simulation
• Surgical Technology
• Healthcare Education

Background:

• Effective surgical instrument reprocessing is critical for patient safety and preventing infections.
• Current training for sterilization staff is often informal and lacks standardization, potentially leading to errors.
• Inadequate instrument assembly can compromise sterilization and increase healthcare-associated infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and validate a virtual reality (VR) training system for laparoscopic forceps assembly and disassembly.
• To improve the skills of healthcare professionals in surgical instrument reprocessing.

Main Methods:

• Co-developed a VR training tool with clinical staff, simulating laparoscopic instrument assembly with real-time feedback.
• Evaluated the system's realism, usability, and training utility with 30 healthcare professionals using a System Usability Scale questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Participants highly rated the VR system for realism (mean 4.73/5), immersion, and ease of use.
• Most participants reported an improved understanding of instrument assembly.
• Performance metrics like errors and completion time were captured; only one participant reported mild discomfort.

Conclusions:

• VR-based simulation offers a safe, engaging, and effective training environment for surgical instrument reprocessing.
• The system addresses educational gaps and has the potential to improve procedural accuracy.
• This training approach may contribute to enhanced infection prevention in healthcare.