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A serious game skills competition increases voluntary usage and proficiency of a virtual reality laparoscopic simulator during first-year surgical residents’ simulation curriculum

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Abstract

Background

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of a serious game skills competition on voluntary usage of a laparoscopic simulator among first-year surgical residents’ standard simulation curriculum.

Methods

With research ethics board approval, informed consent was obtained from first-year surgical residents enrolled in an introductory surgical simulation curriculum. The class of 2013 served as a control cohort following the standard curriculum which mandates completion of six laparoscopic simulator skill tasks. For the 2014 competition cohort, the only change introduced was the biweekly and monthly posting of a leader board of the top three and ten fastest peg transfer times. Entry surveys were administered assessing attitudes towards simulation-based training and competition. Cohorts were observed for 5 months.

Results

There were 24 and 25 residents in the control and competition cohorts, respectively. The competition cohort overwhelmingly (76 %) stated that they were not motivated to deliberate practice by competition. Median total simulator usage time was 132 min (IQR = 214) in the competition cohort compared to 89 (IQR = 170) in the control cohort. The competition cohort completed their course requirements significantly earlier than the control cohort (χ 2 = 6.5, p = 0.01). There was a significantly greater proportion of residents continuing to use the simulator voluntarily after completing their course requirements in the competition cohort (44 vs. 4 %; p = 0.002). Residents in the competition cohort were significantly faster at peg transfer (194 ± 66 vs. 233 ± 53 s, 95 % CI of difference = 4–74 s; p = 0.03) and significantly decreased their completion time by 33 ± 54 s (95 % CI 10–56 s; paired t test, p = 0.007).

Conclusions

A simple serious games skills competition increased voluntary usage and performance on a laparoscopic simulator, despite a majority of participants reporting they were not motivated by competition. Future directions should endeavour to examine other serious gaming modalities to further engage trainees in simulated skills development.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknolwedge Dr. Michael Ott, the Western University Principles of Surgery Program Director and Terri MacDougall, the Principles of Surgery Program Administrator for allowing access to their curriculum. The authors would also like to acknolwedge the Western University Principles of Surgery classes of 2013 and 2014 for participating in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSTAR, London Health Sciences Centre, University Hospital, 339 Windermere Road, London, ON, N6A 0A5, Canada

    Mostafa El-Beheiry, Greig McCreery & Christopher M. Schlachta

Authors
  1. Mostafa El-Beheiry
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  2. Greig McCreery
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  3. Christopher M. Schlachta
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mostafa El-Beheiry.

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Disclosures

Drs. El-Beheiry, McCreery and Schlachta have no conflicts of interest or financial ties to disclose.

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El-Beheiry, M., McCreery, G. & Schlachta, C.M. A serious game skills competition increases voluntary usage and proficiency of a virtual reality laparoscopic simulator during first-year surgical residents’ simulation curriculum. Surg Endosc 31, 1643–1650 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-016-5152-y

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