Appraisal of a PBM and a VM found both to have perceived educational benefit. However, the PBM was considered to have more realistic physical properties and was considered the preferred training instrument.
BackgroundVirtual surgery may improve learning and provides an opportunity for pre-operative surgical rehearsal. We describe a novel haptic temporal bone simulator specifically developed for multicore processing and improved visual realism. A position locking algorithm for enhanced drill-bone interaction and haptic fidelity is further employed. The simulation construct is evaluated against cadaveric education.MethodsA voxel-based simulator was designed for multicore architecture employing Marching Cubes and Laplacian smoothing to perform real-time haptic and graphic rendering of virtual bone.Ten Otolaryngology trainees dissected a cadaveric temporal bone (CTB) followed by a virtual isomorphic haptic model (VM) based on derivative microCT data. Participants rated 1) physical characteristics, 2) specific anatomic constructs, 3) usefulness in skill development and 4) perceived educational value. The survey instrument employed a Likert scale (1-7).ResultsResidents were equivocal about the physical properties of the VM, as cortical (3.2 ± 2.0) and trabecular (2.8 ± 1.6) bone drilling character was appraised as dissimilar to CTB. Overall similarity to cadaveric training was moderate (3.5 ± 1.8). Residents generally felt the VM was beneficial in skill development, rating it highest for translabyrinthine skull-base approaches (5.2 ± 1.3). The VM was considered an effective (5.4 ± 1.5) and accurate (5.7 ± 1.4) training tool which should be integrated into resident education (5.5 ± 1.4). The VM was thought to improve performance (5.3 ± 1.8) and confidence (5.3 ± 1.9) and was highly rated for anatomic learning (6.1 ± 1.9).ConclusionStudy participants found the VM to be a beneficial and effective platform for learning temporal bone anatomy and surgical techniques. They identify some concern with limited physical realism likely owing to the haptic device interface. This study is the first to compare isomorphic simulation in education. This significantly removes possible confounding features as the haptic simulation was based on derivative imaging.
The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability of auditory brainstem responses obtained from a distant site using telemedicine technology. Fifteen subjects were located with the examiners in Minot, North Dakota, while the data were acquired by an audiologist in Logan, Utah. All test procedures were performed with accepted clinical protocols. Statistical analysis of the data indicated that trials conducted locally had a strong correlation with those collected from a distance. The analysis also indicated that any intrasubject variances were due to factors other than the site of testing. The test results fell within accepted clinical allowances as defined by prior normative studies. These results indicate that this procedure may be accepted for clinical use.Learning Outcomes: As a result of this activity, participants will be able to (1) list the limitations of telehealth technology as a means of acquiring reliable ABR data, and (2) describe the value of telehealth technology in audiology.
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