FacultyFocus 1-2019
Hospital Based Simulation Courses
By utilizing new technology and limiting the time commitments required of our participants, AOSpine has created a revolutionary new educational event that is being rolled out across all our regions.
During 2017 and 2018, AOSpine organized several hospital-based simulation “pilot” courses and laid the groundwork for a new course concept. Since then, a number of these courses have been successfully realized in several AOSpine regions. The collective feedback from participants has been that the course concept is highly appreciated and offers a very valuable, relevant, and realistic learning experience.
The concept
A group of AOSpine surgeon faculty, led by past AOSpine Education Commission (AOSEC) Chair Mike Grevitt, decided to design and evaluate a new hospital-based simulation training concept for international implementation. They were looking for a concept that would help address clinical training needs while still limiting surgeons’ time away from practice, and demonstrate an effective use of resources. This resulted in a condensed 3-hour hospital-based course concept, focused on minimally invasive procedures using very authentic surgical simulators. The concept suggests using only local faculty and targeting local trainees and fellows as participants.
These local courses are supported by a blended learning approach, consisting of 2 hours of online, pre-course learning materials and a 1-hour online tutorial for participants with the chairperson. The pre-course activities ensure that participants come to the course fully prepared and that most of the face-to-face time can be spent training on the simulator.
The course starts with a short introduction and preoperative planning. Then groups of two to three participants per simulator trains for two hours under the guidance of a faculty member, before finishing off the course with personalized feedback and take-home messages. In order to closely simulate an actual minimally invasive surgery situation, the courses should, whenever possible, be realized inside the operating room. By bringing this simulation-based education to hospitals and to surgeons, AOSpine is able to offer very valuable clinical training and only create a minimal interruption to the surgeon’s busy schedule.
Feedback
The course concept was tested on orthopedic and neurosurgical trainees and fellows during 2017 and 2018 in six events in England, Wales, US, Japan, Brazil, and Kuwait and a number of regional courses have since been organized using the same concept. The participant feedback from these courses was very positive and the consensus was that the course concept is highly appreciated and offers a very valuable, relevant, and realistic learning experience.
Especially appreciated was the minimal interruption to regular work, enhancement with online pre-course activities, the authenticity of the simulator, the operating room setting, and the high faculty-to-participant ratio. During these test courses, a lumbar stenosis model was used in the simulator and the main techniques trained were:
- Accurate use of drill
- Accurate use of the microscope
- Over the top MIS bilateral laminectomy via unilateral approach
- Over the top contralateral foraminotomy
- Dural repair techniques
- Cage placement for TLIF
- Complications avoidance and control of bleeding
In conclusion, hospital-based training, and simulation-based training, is an exciting space likely to play an important role in the future of surgeon education, as it provides effective use of resources and could greatly extend the reach and impact of AOSpine’s education.
“This exciting concept represents a transformational change in education. It combines all the innovative features of blended learning, including pre-course self-directed online resources and virtual tutorials. The practical sessions were widely praised by participants for the high fidelity of the model, authentic course setting, and the coaching by senior faculty. This hospital-based simulation concept speaks to the need of the millennial’s in terms of time efficiency convenience and educational value.”
Mike Grevitt
AOSpine simulation training in microsurgical decompression and interbody fusion―from learner to expert. Nottingham, June 2017.
AOSpine
FacultyFocus
1-2019
