Picture downloaded from Flickr (Christina Care)

Simulation training is widely used for surgical training and it seems to be very well suited for learning these kinds of procedural skills.  In a new paper in the Annals of Surgery (Zendejas, B, Cook DA, Bingener, J, Huebner, M, Dunn, WF, Sarr, MG, and Farley, DR. Simulation-based mastery learning improves patient outcomes in laparoscopic hernia repair,  Annals of Surgery, 254(3) 502-510). 

Their training resulted in improved patient outcomes including complications and the need for an overnight stay.  The control group  got "standard practice," which consisted of their regular clinical training. 

The training treatment group got additional training consisting of nine online learning modules and skills training on a simulator.  Each of these two components was built on a mastery learning model.  Students moved on from the online modules once they achieved 90% or better on multiple-choice knowledge test.

Skills training consisted of practice sessions, supervised by an expert, on a simulation task trainer.  Participants practiced until they were able to repair two simulated hernias in less than 2 minutes, on 2 consecutive attempts.  If they couldn't do this in 10 tries, or if they had worked for an hour, they stopped for the say and continued on a later day. 

This study shows us once again that sills practice can be an important part of successful training interventions.