The use of modern simulation technologies in otorhinolaryngologist training

Medical education tends to be transformed by many factors, including the ever-changing health care environment, the new role of the physician, changing societal expectations, rapidly evolving medical science, and the emergence
of a wide variety of pedagogical methods used in teaching. Changes in societal expectations put patient safety at the forefront and raise ethical concerns about teaching medical students. Teaching with simulation technologies,
including virtual reality technologies, is a modern approach providing a safe learning environment without risk to patients or volunteers.
Purpose of the study. Comparison of the effectiveness of traditional teaching and teaching using virtual technologies.
Material and methods. The study involved 220 students of the Institute of Pediatrics and the Institute of Clinical Medicine of the Samara State Medical University. The study was carried out at a practical lesson on the topic “Clinical anatomy, physiology and research methods of the larynx, trachea, bronchi” on the basis of the Chair
of Otorhinolaryngology named after Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences I.B.Soldatov, as well as in a multi-profile accreditation and simulation center with the use of a simulator for intubation, tracheostomy, conicotomy. The simulator “Tracheostomy-VR” was developed by the Institute of Innovative Development of
Samara State Medical University for training at the Chair of Otorhinolaryngology. All students were divided into three groups, based on the teaching methods that have been used. During the practical lesson they were given questionnaires to assess the development of the practical skill of tracheostomy, as well as the degree of
immersion in virtual reality. Based on the responses to the questionnaire, a comparison was made between the groups.
Results. The results of the questionnaire confirm the improvement of performance of the practical skill “tracheostomy” by students of all groups. However, the students of the third group who studied using both traditional methods and virtual technologies had a higher score (1.2±0.3 points) compared to the students of the first group in which only traditional teaching methods were used. The use of virtual reality allowed for a realistic immersion in the operating room environment. In addition, high immersion scores demonstrate that the students had no technical problems with practicing the skills.
Conclusion. Teaching students using virtual reality gives results not inferior to those of the traditional teaching methods. This study confirms the possibility of using the Tracheostomy-VR simulator during a practical lesson. The use of a VR solution that is innovative and interactive has proven to be useful for training students in surgical
interventions at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology.
Key words: training, virtual reality, simulation, tracheostomy
Conflict of interest. The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
Funding. There was no funding for this study.