Psycho-Motor and Error Enabled Simulations: Modeling Vulnerable Skills in the Pre-Mastery Phase

This term of the grant has been comprised of three main directions. The first primary direction focused on simulation preparation, personnel training, and conducting data collection sessions. Based on recommendations identified from pilot simulations, necessary modifications were made to each of the procedural stations. Next, the entire team traveled to the institutions involved in the study, set up all the simulation stations, interacted with participants, and collected data to bring back to the lab for analysis. Additionally, there was a focus on collecting the same data set from surgeons who had retired from the field at varying levels. The second direction of effort focused on the organization, database and transcription coding, and analysis of this data. Analysis was expedited using participant workbooks, common error checklists, and video recordings made during participant data collections. Additional data such as images of final products were obtained and coded. The third direction focused on the dissemination of findings learned in the initial analyses performed. A set of scores validating our data was developed and will be used for future coding, analysis and reporting methods to participants. Multiple abstracts and posters were created for surgical conferences attended. These works concentrated on data from pre and post participation surveys, perceptions of skill reduction, motor control in robotic tasks, longitudinal comparisons and comparisons between robotic and simulation tasks. Lessons learned from each of the main directions have been incorporated into plans for additional refinements to be made that will ensure continuing study success for our upcoming third year of data collection sessions.