J. L. Green1, P. Bittar1, V. Suresh1, A. Allori2 1Duke University Medical Center,School Of Medicine,Durham, NC, USA 2Duke University Medical Center,Division Of Plastic, Maxillofacial & Oral Surgery,Durham, NC, USA
Introduction: Training surgical residents in the modern age comes with many challenges. Concerns over duty hour restrictions and limited exposure to essential operations suggest that innovative solutions are needed for proper resident education. The use of surgical video has great potential to enhance training by demonstrating surgical anatomy and procedures, facilitating assessment, and improving feedback. Although there are a variety of uses for video in surgical education, there is little information about which applications of this technology are most effective. The objective of this study was to systematically review the literature for the use of video based technology in surgical residency training and provide evidence based guidelines for its effective use.
Methods: The authors conducted a systematic review of literature on surgical video in surgical residency education. A literature search was performed of PubMed, EMBASE, ERIC, and Web of Science for comparative data and descriptive information on the use of surgical video in residency education. Information regarding video characteristics and video application were gathered from each article. Articles comparing a video group to a non-video group underwent outcome analysis and quality assessment using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI). Video outcomes were categorized as learning (knowledge change), performance (skill change), and experience (resident perspective).
Results: Of the 1168 papers reviewed, 63 articles met inclusion criteria and provided data on surgical video characteristics and applications. The primary video type was endoscopy (27/63, 42.9%) which was captured using laparoscopy (22/63, 34.9%) or arthroscopy (11/63, 17.5%). Videos were usually viewed post-operatively (44/63, 69.8%) by an attending (31/63, 49.2%) or resident (24/63, 38.1%). Of the included articles, 19 articles compared a video to a non-video group and therefore underwent outcome analysis and quality assessment. When compared to a non-video group, video was associated with improved resident learning (6/6, 100%), performance (13/16, 81.3%), and experience (7/7, 100%).
Conclusion: This review of literature illustrates the utility of video based technology as a tool for surgical education. Video based technology serves as a readily accessible platform for real-time feedback, out-of-OR training, and basic didactics. This review of comparative studies shows that the use of video technology not only has positive impacts on resident learning and performance but also provides trainees with a positive learning experience. In regards to video guidelines, the information from this systematic review suggests that resident video review and supplementing video with other educational tools is beneficial to surgical education.