Video-assisted surgery: suggestions for failure prevention in laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Background: Surgery differs from other medical specialties in its execution. It is often complex and includes considerable individual variations. Observing problems in operating theatres (OT) allows for the identification of system failures which should be defined for learning purposes to increase patient safety and enhance general safety culture within hospital organizations. This study evaluates a common video-assisted surgical procedure, laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) through failure analysis. The profile of the LC procedure and failure sources is presented. Methods: Data consisted video-observations and interviews concerning twelve LC operations performed at a day surgery unit. All o…

Designing patient education and counseling practices

Patient education and counselling are essential constituents of interaction between a patient and a healthcare organisation. This study explores patient education and counselling practices, focusing on the opportunities of modern technology in the development of interaction with patients. With the help of a qualitative study we illustrate nurses' conceptions about the topic and discuss future opportunities. Our approach is distinctively patient centred; all discussion about the use of technology is from the point-of-view of patient's well-being and empowerment.

Learning Surgical Skills with Simulator Training: Residents’ Experiences and Perceptions

Simulator training is becoming a more integral part of surgical psychomotor skills training for video-assisted operating techniques, which need to be practiced repeatedly and systematically. Studies concerning the implementation, realization, and potentiality of simulator training programs for hospital surgeons are needed. Also, trainees’ expectations of training, and the feasibility of combining such training with their hospital work, remain rather unknown. This paper presents important theoretical factors that influence surgical skills learning through computer-based simulator training. The curriculum and the study of learners’ training experiences are presented. Statistical analysis on p…

Patient Education as an Information System, Healthcare Tool and Interaction

Patient education (PE) has a crucial role in the function of a healthcare organisation. For the care process of a patient, it is essential to get the right information at the right moment and in the right form. This paper analyses PE as the primary mode of interaction between a patient and a healthcare organisation. The approach is illustrated with a study among nurses based on their conceptions about PE. Practical implications and the potential of ICT in PE in particular are discussed. peerReviewed

Usability Challenges in Surgical Simulator Training

Surgical virtual reality simulators have been taken into use in order to improve surgical skills training. Emergence of simulators increases the need for research and knowledge related to usability of medical simulators. In this study usability of laparoscopic surgical simulator was researched experimentally through combined analysis. Data was gathered with heuristic evaluation, questionnaires, and interviews as well as recorded simulator parameters. Results suggest that the surgical simulator could be more efficient learning and training tool if usability issues such as support and error prevention were reconsidered in more detail. There also seem to be grounds for connecting user support …

Virtual Reality Simulator Training of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomies — A Systematic Review

Background and Aims: Simulators are widely used in occupations where practice in authentic environments would involve high human or economic risks. Surgical procedures can be simulated by increasingly complex and expensive techniques. This review gives an update on computer-based virtual reality (VR) simulators in training for laparoscopic cholecystectomies. Materials and Methods: From leading databases (Medline, Cochrane, Embase), randomised or controlled trials and the latest systematic reviews were systematically searched and reviewed. Twelve randomised trials involving simulators were identified and analysed, as well as four controlled studies. Furthermore, seven studies comparing black…

Identifying opportunities for AI applications in healthcare — Renewing the national healthcare and social services

A vast variety of artificial intelligence techniques have been deployed to specific healthcare problems during the last thirty years with varying levels of success while there is a shortage of systematic matching of AI capabilities with the breadth of application opportunities. In this paper, we describe the process of identifying opportunities for deploying artificial intelligence to healthcare and social services on regional and national levels in Finland. The project involved a large number of stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds ranging from governmental agencies to entrepreneurs. The process described includes idea generation of an application or solution and its elaboration in w…

Tekoälyn soveltaminen terveydenhuollossa ja hyvinvoinnissa

Educational Application Design Process Experiences : Case Perioperative Nursing

From an educational point of view, the only relevant basis for the design of an educational application is the learning objectives of the content area. In the development process of an educational application, there are also other people involved besides educational experts. This paper describes a project which primarily aims at developing an application for the needs of enhancing perioperative nursing skills’. Besides application development, the project included research about the process. The research task was to discover how the real – not only the formal – objectives could work as the starting point for the construction of an educational game-like application. This paper presents the s…

Expertise and Skill in Minimally Invasive Surgery

New attitudes to medical ethics and demands for efficiency have brought increased attention to surgical skills and training. It is important to characterize the expertise and skill involved in the multidimensional surgical profession. At a time of change, there is a need to discuss the nature of surgical expertise, and also the prospects for resident training, with special reference to new minimally invasive techniques (MIS). In this paper, we selectively review knowledge on surgical expertise and the specific demands placed on a skilled MIS surgeon. In addition, the review contains a selection of studies from those areas that have been seen as important for the future of training in surge…

Additional file 1: of Status of Nordic research on simulation-based learning in healthcare: an integrative review

Search in databases, terms, and hits. (DOCX 18 kb)

Towards Technology-Supported Surgical Training

Technology offers alternatives for training surgeons with patients and also possibilities to take part in surgical learning from afar, outside the operating room (OR). Simulated and other technical training tools provide opportunities to practice surgical skills in undisturbed learning environments. In order to implement effective educational methods and create new environments for learning, we need to find out what skills a surgeon must learn and what are the elements affecting surgical performance. This paper describes a study designed to investigate surgical processes and presents an exploratory way of gathering data by combining video material with interviews. The suitability of triangu…

Status of Nordic research on simulation-based learning in healthcare: an integrative review

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Background. Based on common geography, sociopolitics, epidemiology, and healthcare services, the Nordic countries could benefit from increased collaboration and uniformity in the development of simulation-based learning (SBL). To date, only a limited overview exists on the Nordic research literature on SBL and its progress in healthcare education. Therefore, the aim of this study is to fill that gap and suggest directions for future research. Methods. An integrative review design was used. A search was conducted for relevant research published during the period spanning from 1966 to Ju…

Ruoansulatuskanavan tähystysten monimuoto-opetus kirurgian ja sisätautien runkokoulutuksessa

Lähtökohdat: Keski-Suomen keskussairaalassa on vuodesta 2011 järjestetty gastroenterologian monimuotoista perehdytys-koulutusta, joka on pakollinen kaikille kirurgian ja sisätautien alojen runkokoulutettaville. Tavoitteena on antaa kokonaiskuva tähystysten merkityksestä diagnostiikassa, tähystyksen aiheista, yleisimmistä endoskooppisista löydöksistä ja toimenpiteistä sekä niiden seurannasta. Noin 3 kuukauden koulutus sisältää itsenäistä opiskelua verkkomateriaaleista, oppimistehtävän ja harjoittelua tietokonepohjaisella tähystyssimulaattorilla. Menetelmät: Vuonna 2011 koulutuksen aloitti 20 lääkäriä, joista yhdeksällä ei ollut aiempaa kokemusta simulaattorilla harjoittelusta. Osallistujista…

Additional file 2: of Status of Nordic research on simulation-based learning in healthcare: an integrative review

Mixed methods appraisal tool [32] used for the quality appraisal (Nâ =â 37). (DOCX 48 kb)

Aims vs. technology: Pedagogical view to the use of educational applications in safety critical contexts

Interactive technology for education has formed into a relatively independent domain of research and development. Interactive technology is often seen as a context independent tool. However, we argue that education in different contexts may have so different and incommensurable aims that no single technology can be announced as good or bad per se in terms of learning. The development of educational application should not be based on the technology to be applied, but by careful analysis of learning aims. When formulated in an appropriate way, learning aims work as a relevant basis in all stages of the design process of an educational application. The formulation of aims is therefore critical…

Developing tools for learning and assessment in team-training simulations