Development and evaluation of an interactive simulation module to train the use of an electrosurgical device

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate an interactive Web-based training module for electrosurgery and use of an electrosurgical device. The training module consists of a theoretical part, a device tutorial, and an assessment. For evaluation, participants were recruited at the surgical departments from a university hospital and a non-university teaching hospital and were divided into a training group and a control group. All participants performed the same theoretical and practical tests. The training participants first completed the module before they performed the tests. The control participants immediately performed the tests. Results were compared between the training and control participants. To evaluate face validity, the training participants filled out a questionnaire on their opinion about the module. In total, 39 participants were enrolled in the study: 20 in the training group and 19 in the control group. The training group answered significantly more theoretical questions correctly (15.7 versus 9.7; P