Self-debriefing Model Based on an Integrated Video-Capture System: An Efficient Solution to Skill Degradation.

OBJECTIVE: Video-based teaching is considered highly effective in debriefing, especially in minimally invasive surgeries. In this study, the benefits of using a new integrated video recording system, were investigated and compared to those of the standard basic skills robotic training procedure.

DESIGN: Fifty residents from the 2nd and 3rd year medical faculty without any experience of robot usage or laparoscopy were randomized into 2 groups: group A--a natural self-training group without a trainer, and group B--a self-training group assisted by an integrated video recording system during training. The training was divided into four 2-hour sessions, with a 72-hour delay between each session. Two tasks were selected for testing on the dV-Trainer, a virtual reality based robotic simulator: Match board 2 and Thread the Rings 1. After each session, the practice video recorded by the system of group B was transferred to the residents' smartphones for self-debriefing. At the end of each session, the performance score was evaluated automatically by using the simulator to plot learning curves A and B.

RESULTS: Group A showed a significant drop in performance score due to skill decay caused by the 72-hour delay. Group B exhibited a regular stepwise rising learning curve. At the end of the training, group B showed a significantly higher performance score both in Match board 2 and Thread the Rings 1. The autoanalysis and capture function, which selects only the critical errors and most valuable parts, could facilitate time saving.

CONCLUSIONS: The use of an integrated video recording system makes the self-manipulated protocol with own smartphone feasible to improve training efficiency and overcome the skill decay during robotic surgical training.