Skip to main content
Log in

Determining the Need for Simulated Training of Invasive Procedures

  • Published:
Advances in Health Sciences Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Unlike the airline industry, where pilots first learn to fly on simulators before navigating planes, physicians practice invasive procedures on real patients. To determine the need for the simulated training of invasive procedures prior to working on patients, we studied the views of physicians-in-training. Five hundred medical students, residents, and fellows at Harvard Medical School were asked if there was a problem with the way medical procedures presently are learned in health care. Next, they were surveyed to inquire whether using a simulator would be beneficial. Finally, they were asked what specific procedures would be most suitable for virtual training. The effects of respondent gender, level of training, specialty, and previous experience using simulation on survey results was tested using Student t-tests. One hundred and fifty-eight trainees responded that they were uncomfortable learning to perform invasive procedures on patients. Students and physicians were very interested in obtaining simulated training prior to practicing on patients. The more complicated the procedure, the greater the feeling that it should be simulated prior to attempting it on patients. Respondents most preferred that simulation be used to teach chest tube placement. Respondent gender, specialty, level of training, and prior simulation experience did not affect survey results (p > 0.05). Simulation should be incorporated into the education of medical students and residents as a tool to practice invasive procedures prior to working on patients.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • M.J. Ackerman (1999) ArticleTitleThe visible human project: a resource for education Academic Medicine 74 IssueID6 667–670 Occurrence Handle10.1097/00001888-199906000-00012

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M.J. Ackerman T. Yoo D. Jenkins (2001) ArticleTitleFrom data to knowledge-the visible human project continues Medinfo 10 IssueID6 887–890

    Google Scholar 

  • M.B. Bloom C.L. Rawn A.D. Salzberg T.M. Krummel (2003) ArticleTitleVirtual reality applied to procedural testing: the next era Annals of Surgery 237 IssueID3 442–448 Occurrence Handle10.1097/00000658-200303000-00021

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • T.A. Brennan L.L. Leape N.M. Laird et al. (1991) ArticleTitleIncidence of adverse events and negligence in hospitalized patients Results to the Harvard Medical Practice Study I. New England Journal of Medicine 324 IssueID6 370–376

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Bridges D. Diamond (1999) ArticleTitleThe financial impact of teaching surgical residents in the operating room American Journal of Surgery 177 IssueID1 28–32 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0002-9610(98)00289-X

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • T.J. Connolly B.B. Blackwell L.F. Lester (1989) ArticleTitleA simulator-based approach to training in aeronautical decision making Aviation and Space Environmental Medicine 60 IssueID1 50–52

    Google Scholar 

  • A.G. Gallagher R.M. Satava (2002) ArticleTitleVirtual reality as a metric for the assessment of laparoscopic psychomotor skills Learning curves and reliability measures. Surgical Endoscopy 16 IssueID12 1746–1752

    Google Scholar 

  • R.S. Haluck R.L. Marshall T.M. Krummel (2001) ArticleTitleAre surgery programs ready for virtual reality? A survey of program directors in general surgery Journal of the American College of Surgeons 196 IssueID6 660–665

    Google Scholar 

  • L.L. Leape T.A. Brennan N. Laird et al. (1991) ArticleTitleThe nature of adverse events in hospitalized patients Results of the Harvard Medical Practice Study II. New England Journal of Medicine 324 IssueID6 377–384

    Google Scholar 

  • T.R. Oliver A. Grover (2001) ArticleTitleFederal and state perspectives on GME reform National Health Policy Forum Issue Brief 22 2–4

    Google Scholar 

  • C. Popadiuk M. Pottle V. Curran (2002) ArticleTitleTeaching digital rectal examinations to medical students: an evaluation study of teaching methods Academic Medicine 77 IssueID11 1140–1146

    Google Scholar 

  • C.M. Pugh W.L. Heinrichs P. Dev S. Srivastava T.M. Krummel (2001) ArticleTitleUse of a mechanical simulator to assess pelvic examination skills JAMA 286 IssueID9 1021–1023 Occurrence Handle10.1001/jama.286.9.1021-a

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • S. Senger (1996) ArticleTitleIncorporating visible human project data into the undergraduate anatomy and physiology curriculum Studies in Health Technology Information 29 194–203

    Google Scholar 

  • N.E. Seymour A.G. Gallagher S.A. Roman et al. (2002) ArticleTitleVirtual reality training improves operating room performance: results of a randomized, double-blinded study Annals of Surgery 236 IssueID4 458–463 Occurrence Handle10.1097/00000658-200210000-00008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • B. Stephens B. Temkin T.M. Krummel W.L. Heinrichs (2000) ArticleTitleVirtual body structures: a 3D structure development tool from visible human data Studies in Health Technology Information 70 323–326

    Google Scholar 

  • A.W. Wu S. Folkman S.J. McPhee B. Lo (1991) ArticleTitleDo house officers learn from their mistakes? Journal of the American Medical Association 265 IssueID16 2089–2094 Occurrence Handle10.1001/jama.265.16.2089

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Arin K. Greene.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Greene, A.K., Zurakowski, D., Puder, M. et al. Determining the Need for Simulated Training of Invasive Procedures. Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract 11, 41–49 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-004-2320-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-004-2320-y

Keywords

Navigation