ABSTRACT
This study describes a comparison between an animal model and a haptic enabled, needle based, graphical user interface simulator (SimPL), for teaching Diagnostic Peritoneal Lavage (DPL). Forty novice medical students were divided into two groups and then trained to perform a DPL on either a pig or the SimPL. All subjects completed a pre and post test of basic knowledge and were tested by performing a DPL on a TraumaMan mannequin and evaluated by two trauma surgeons blinded to group. The results showed significant improvement over baseline knowledge in both groups but more so in the SimPL group. The simulator group performed better on site selection (p<0.001) and technique (p<0.002) than those who trained on a pig. The finding that a simulator is superior to an animal model for teaching an important skill to medical students has profound implications on future training and deserves further study.
Subject(s)
Computer Simulation , Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted , Education, Medical/methods , Peritoneal Lavage , User-Computer Interface , Animals , Clinical Competence , Models, Animal , SwineABSTRACT
This study examines the effectiveness of two virtual reality simulators when compared with traditional methods of teaching intravenous (IV) cannulation to third year medical students. Thirty-four third year medical students were divided into four groups and then trained to perform an IV cannulation using either CathSim, Virtual I.V., a plastic simulated arm or by practicing IV placement on each other. All subjects watched a five minute training video and completed a cannulation pretest and posttest on the simulated arm. The results showed significant improvement from pretest to posttest in each of the four groups. Students trained on the Virtual I.V. showed significantly greater improvement over baseline when compared with the simulated arm group (p<.026). Both simulators provided at least equal training to traditional methods of teaching, a finding with implications for future training of this procedure to novices.
