Visual Arts-Based Interventions in Surgical Education: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Visual Arts-Based Interventions (VABI)

Background:

• Visual arts-based interventions (VABI) show potential in medical education but are under-evaluated in surgical training.
• Gaps exist in understanding VABI integration into surgical curricula and outcome measurement.
• This study investigates VABI effectiveness in surgical education, focusing on knowledge and skill development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review evidence on visual arts-based interventions (VABI) in surgical education.
• To assess the impact of VABI on knowledge acquisition and technical skill development in surgical learners.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search following PRISMA guidelines across multiple databases.
• Data extraction and screening by two independent reviewers.
• Quality assessment using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI) scale.

Main Results:

• Twenty-four studies utilized VABI, including clay modeling, anatomy drawing, and painting.
• Participants included undergraduate and postgraduate surgical learners.
• All studies reported improvements in anatomical knowledge and technical task accuracy.

Conclusions:

• VABI demonstrate effectiveness in improving knowledge acquisition and technical skills in surgical education.
• Despite heterogeneity, VABI offer a valuable addition to surgical training.
• Future research should focus on high-quality comparative studies and long-term impact assessments.