Teaching ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia using remote immersive virtual reality: a randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Anesthesiology
• Medical Simulation

Background:

• Ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia education is crucial for anesthesiologists.
• Telesimulation offers a remote alternative for teaching technical skills.
• Virtual reality (VR) presents a novel approach to remote medical training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of 2D telesimulation versus 3D remote immersive virtual reality (RIVR) for teaching ultrasound-guided nerve blocks.
• To evaluate trainee and instructor satisfaction with each telesimulation modality.
• To determine if 3D RIVR is a superior remote teaching method compared to 2D telesimulation.

Main Methods:

• A single-center, randomized controlled trial involving 24 medical students with no prior ultrasound experience.
• Participants were randomized to receive remote instruction via 2D telesimulation or 3D RIVR on a porcine model.
• Outcomes included pretest-to-posttest improvement scores on a validated checklist and satisfaction surveys.

Main Results:

• Both 2D and 3D RIVR telesimulation demonstrated significant pretest-to-posttest improvement in procedural skills (P < 0.001).
• No significant difference in skill improvement was found between the 2D and 3D RIVR groups (P = 0.06).
• Both students and instructors reported higher satisfaction with the 2D telesimulation modality.

Conclusions:

• 3D RIVR telesimulation is comparable to 2D telesimulation for training novices in ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia procedures.
• 2D telesimulation was the preferred method for both instructors and learners due to current technological limitations of 3D RIVR.
• Advancements in VR technology may lead to its future adoption for remote medical training.