Evaluation of the Virtual Mentor Cataract Training Program
Received 29 October 2008; received in revised form 2 July 2009; accepted 6 July 2009. published online 07 December 2009.
Objective
Evaluate the effectiveness of an interactive cognitive computer simulation for teaching the hydrodissection portion of cataract surgery compared with standard teaching and to assess the attitudes of residents about the teaching tools and their perceived confidence in the knowledge gained after using the tools.
Design
Case-control study.
Participants and Controls
Residents at academic institutions.
Methods
Prospective, multicenter, single-masked, controlled trial was performed in 7 academic departments of ophthalmology (Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, University of Iowa, Emory University, University of Cincinnati, University of Pennsylvania/Scheie Eye Institute, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University/Wills Eye Institute, and the Aravind Eye Institute). All residents from these centers were asked to participate and were randomized into 2 groups. Group A (n = 30) served as the control and received traditional teaching materials; group B (n = 38) received a digital video disc of the Virtual Mentor program. This program is an interactive cognitive simulation, specifically designed to separate cognitive aspects (such as decision making and error recognition) from the motor aspects. Both groups took online anonymous pretests (n = 68) and posttests (n = 58), and answered satisfaction questionnaires (n = 53). Wilcoxon tests were completed to compare pretest and posttest scores between groups. Analysis of variance was performed to assess differences in mean scores between groups.
Main Outcome Measures
Scores on pretests, posttests, and satisfaction questionnaires.
Results
There was no difference in the pretest scores between the 2 groups (P = 0.62). However, group B (Virtual Mentor [VM]) scored significantly higher on the posttest (P = 0.01). Mean difference between pretest and posttest scores were significantly better in the VM group than in the traditional learning group (P = 0.04). Questionnaire revealed that the VM program was “more fun” to use (24.1% vs 4.2%) and residents were more likely to use this type of program again compared with the likelihood of using the traditional tools (58.6% vs 4.2%).
Conclusions
The VM, a cognitive computer simulation, augmented teaching of the hydrodissection step of phacoemulsification surgery compared with traditional teaching alone. The program was more enjoyable and more likely to be used repetitively by ophthalmology residents.
Financial Disclosure(s)
Proprietary or commercial disclosures may be found after the references.
Available online: December 6, 2009.
1Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts
2Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Seoul, Republic of Korea
3University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Eye Institute, Cincinnati, Ohio
4The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa; and the Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
5Department of Ophthalmology, The Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas
6University of Pennsylvania/Scheie Eye Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
7Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
8Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University/Wills Eye Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
9Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
10Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
12Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Correspondence: Bonnie An Henderson, MD, Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston, 52 Second Avenue, Suite 2500, Waltham, MA 02451
Manuscript no. 2008-1286.
Financial Disclosure(s): Drs Henderson and Loewenstein are eligible to receive royalties, if any, from commercialization of the Virtual Mentor in accordance with Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Harvard Medical School guidelines.
ABSTRACT