The future of patient safety: Surgical trainees accept virtual reality as a new training tool

Rachel Rosenthal¹ , Walter A Gantert² , Christian Hamel² , Jürg Metzger³ , Thomas Kocher⁴ , Peter Vogelbach⁵ , Nicolas Demartines¹ and Dieter Hahnloser⁶

¹Department of Surgery, University Hospital Lausanne, Switzerland

²Department of Surgery, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland

³Department of Surgery, State Hospital Luzern, Switzerland

⁴Department of Surgery, State Hospital Baden, Switzerland

⁵Department of Surgery, District Hospital Dornach, Switzerland

⁶Department of Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland

author email corresponding author email

Patient Safety in Surgery 2008, 2:16doi:10.1186/1754-9493-2-16


Published:	11 June 2008

Abstract

Background

The use of virtual reality (VR) has gained increasing interest to acquire laparoscopic skills outside the operating theatre and thus increasing patients' safety. The aim of this study was to evaluate trainees' acceptance of VR for assessment and training during a skills course and at their institution.

Methods

All 735 surgical trainees of the International Gastrointestinal Surgery Workshop 2006–2008, held in Davos, Switzerland, were given a minimum of 45 minutes for VR training during the course. Participants' opinion on VR was analyzed with a standardized questionnaire.

Results

Fivehundred-twenty-seven participants (72%) from 28 countries attended the VR sessions and answered the questionnaires. The possibility of using VR at the course was estimated as excellent or good in 68%, useful in 21%, reasonable in 9% and unsuitable or useless in 2%. If such VR simulators were available at their institution, most course participants would train at least one hour per week (46%), two or more hours (42%) and only 12% wouldn't use VR. Similarly, 63% of the participants would accept to operate on patients only after VR training and 55% to have VR as part of their assessment.

Conclusion

Residents accept and appreciate VR simulation for surgical assessment and training. The majority of the trainees are motivated to regularly spend time for VR training if accessible.