Enhancing procedural proficiency in interventional radiology: a prospective observational study on cross-training and...

This study aimed to investigate whether structured simulation-based training in a virtual environment improves procedural efficiency among medical students, and whether skills acquired in one virtual interventional radiology scenario can be transferred to a different scenario through cross-training. Gender-related differences in performance and confidence were examined exploratively.

Twenty medical students were randomized into 2 groups (n = 10 each) and trained on an endovascular simulator for interventional radiology. After 5 sessions on their primary case, participants switched cases for a sixth cross-training session. Performance was assessed through virtual fluoroscopy time. Pre- and post-training questions evaluated skill development, confidence, and career perceptions.

Virtual fluoroscopy times decreased significantly over 5 sessions, with a mean reduction of 72% (31.35-8.88 minutes, P = .0023), indicating improved procedural efficiency. Cross-training demonstrated effective skill transfer, with virtual fluoroscopy times 50% shorter than initial training of the alternate group (P = .029, n = 10; P = .035, n = 8). Female participants (n = 11) reported lower confidence levels in self-assessed manual dexterity (P = .019) but showed comparable or superior performance improvements to males (n = 9) by the end of training.

Simulation effectively enhances procedural expertise and skill adaptability in a virtual environment. Exploratory analyses suggest that simulation training may help address confidence gaps and objective performance was comparable between genders.

Cross-training enhances skill transferability across different interventional radiology procedures. Despite gender-specific differences in perceptions of manual dexterity, performance between genders remains comparable.