Knowledge Acquisition, Self-Assessed Competence, and Simulator-Based Performance in a Structured Laparoscopic VR Curriculum for Obstetrics and Gynecology Residents: A Single-Center Observational Study
Source: PubMed Central Open Access, NCBI / U.S. National Library of Medicine
Introduction Simulation enables safe, structured practice of laparoscopic skills outside the operating room, yet objective, threshold-referenced performance data from mandatory postgraduate curricula in Central and Eastern Europe remain scarce. We report the educational outcomes of a structured, multi-level virtual-reality (VR) laparoscopy curriculum delivered at a single national simulation center. intro s2001 Methods We conducted a single-center prospective observational study of 29 obstetrics and gynecology residents who completed a four-module laparoscopic course (Basic 1–2, Advanced 1–2) at the Centre for Endoscopy Simulation, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education (CMKP), Warsaw. Outcomes comprised pre- and post-course single-choice knowledge tests, self-assessed competence, satisfaction, and simulator-based performance evaluated against a priori, criterion-referenced passing thresholds. Technical metrics were simulator-generated (Simbionix LAP Mentor); no human global rating scales were used. Demographic and training-related variables (gender, residency year, training-center referral level, prior endoscopic experience) were analyzed with non-parametric statistics. s2002 Results Knowledge scores improved from 20.9 (SD = 2.70) to 29.2 (SD = 1.01) (Wilcoxon, p 0.05). Outcomes did not differ by gender or training-center referral level; residency year was associated with performance only in colpotomy (= –0.37, p =0.047), and prior experience predicted performance mainly i
Abstract
Introduction Simulation enables safe, structured practice of laparoscopic skills outside the operating room, yet objective, threshold-referenced performance data from mandatory postgraduate curricula in Central and Eastern Europe remain scarce. We report the educational outcomes of a structured, multi-level virtual-reality (VR) laparoscopy curriculum delivered at a single national simulation center. intro s2001 Methods We conducted a single-center prospective observational study of 29 obstetrics and gynecology residents who completed a four-module laparoscopic course (Basic 1–2, Advanced 1–2) at the Centre for Endoscopy Simulation, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education (CMKP), Warsaw. Outcomes comprised pre- and post-course single-choice knowledge tests, self-assessed competence, satisfaction, and simulator-based performance evaluated against a priori, criterion-referenced passing thresholds. Technical metrics were simulator-generated (Simbionix LAP Mentor); no human global rating scales were used. Demographic and training-related variables (gender, residency year, training-center referral level, prior endoscopic experience) were analyzed with non-parametric statistics. s2002 Results Knowledge scores improved from 20.9 (SD = 2.70) to 29.2 (SD = 1.01) (Wilcoxon, p 0.05). Outcomes did not differ by gender or training-center referral level; residency year was associated with performance only in colpotomy (= –0.37, p =0.047), and prior experience predicted performance mainly in basic camera manipulation (e.g. 30° navigation distance,= –0.50, p =0.005), consistent with a learning-curve effect. s2003 Conclusion A structured, multi-modular VR laparoscopy course significantly improved theoretical knowledge and self-assessed competence among OB-GYN residents. Within this single-center cohort, measured outcomes did not differ by gender or training-center referral level. High satisfaction diverged from objective performance, underscoring the need for balanced, criterion-referenced evaluation. A priori passing thresholds enabled transparent, proficiency-oriented assessment. s2004