Presentation
Introduction
Surgical training is undergoing a revolution with the arrival of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies. These innovative tools create immersive practice environments, but a key question remains unanswered: can surgeons use the skills they learn in AR/VR during actual surgery (Level 3 of Kirkpatrick's Pyramid)? This systematic review aims to bridge this knowledge gap by investigating the translatability of AR/VR training. By analysing translatability across diverse surgical specialties and skill sets, this study aims to estimate the translatability figures of these different skills using AR/VR-based training.
Methodology
Systematic Review: Conducted following PRISMA guidelines to identify relevant studies.
Study Selection: Included studies published between 2010 and 2024 (RCTs, cohort studies, systematic reviews) that evaluated: Skill metrics pre- and post-AR/VR training in clinical settings (Level 3 of Kirkpatrick's Pyramid)
Operative assessment improvements (e.g., GOALS, OSTAS) Literature Search: Comprehensive search across PubMed, Embase, and Scopus using pre-defined search terms related to AR/VR and surgical education.
Data Analysis: Thematic analysis focused on:
- Common surgical skills
- Surgical specialty skill translatability
- calculating mean translatability per skill set (Level 3)
Kirkpatrick's Pyramid for training evaluation Metrics: Task completion time, error rate, accuracy, distance travelled, and operative assessment scores were used to assess surgical performance translatability.
Results
There was notable improvements in operative assessment scores such as GOALS and OSATS post-training.
Conclusion
Our ongoing systematic review suggests that AR/VR-based surgical training programs hold significant promise. By analysing skill metrics pre- and post-training, as well as operative assessment improvements, this research indicates effective skill translation to real-world clinical practice (Level 3 of Kirkpatrick's Pyramid). These findings highlight the potential of AR/VR technology as a potential new gold standard in surgical education.