Assessment of google glass as an adjunct in neurological surgery

Abstract

Background:We assess Google Glass (“Glass”) in improving postoperative review (“debriefing”) and augmenting education in Neurological Surgery at a tertiary academic medical center.Methods:This was a prospective study. Participants were patients of Neurological Surgery physicians at a Tertiary Care Level 1 Academic Trauma Center. Resident physicians received a pre-questionnaire immediately following surgery. Next, the resident and attending physicians debriefed by reviewing the Glass operative recording. Then, residents completed a 4-part post-questionnaire. Questions 1–3 assessed: (1) the residents’ comfort level with the procedure, (2) the quality of education provided by their superiors, and (3) their comfort level in repeating the operation. Question 4 assessed: (4) the perceived benefit of debriefing using Glass.Results:Twelve surveys were collected. Scores were based on a 5-point Likert scale, with a higher score corresponding to a more positive response. For Questions 1–3, the average pre- and post-questionnaire scores were 3.75 and 4.42, respectively (P <.05). For Question 4, the average post-questionnaire score was 4.63, suggesting that postoperative Glass review improved their technical understanding of the procedure.Conclusions:Glass significantly improved neurosurgery residents’ comfort level and quality of training, and provided a high fidelity, reliable, and modifiable tool that enhanced residents’ understanding, expertise, and educational experience. Of note, certain limitations such as variable battery life, variable image quality, and subpar compatibility with surgeon loupes must still be overcome for Glass to become a realistic addition to neurosurgical education.

A Systematic Review of the Use of Google Glass in Graduate Medical Education

“…GG's ability to conduct VTC has been demonstrated for surgery, 31,[36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46] dermatology, 42,47 neurology, 48 pediatrics, 49 cardiology, 50 and toxicology. 51,52 With VTC, GG also doubles as a telementoring device, allowing trainees to broadcast their point of view to supervising physicians 43,44,50,51,53 and vice versa.…”

“…Beyond person-to-person VTC, existing literature highlights a range of GG uses, including livestreaming vital signs during simulated surgical scenarios, 54 recording video for resident assessment purposes, 36,37,40,55,56 building a video library to log improvements, 26 and capturing point-of-view procedures performed by senior physicians. 57,58 Sahyouni et al 37 reported that reviewing video clips recorded via GG enhanced neurological surgery residents' technical understanding of procedures, ultimately leading to increased confidence and level of comfort. Multiple studies reported improved trainee techniques following review of recorded surgical videos, with Chimenti and Mitten 38 noting that for percutaneous pinning of hand fractures in a cadaveric lab, use of GG led to decreased time to pin fracture, a decrease in the number of pin attempts, and a decrease in the number of fluoroscopic images obtained.…”

“…27,28,37,38,45,57,58,65,67,68,71 Additionally, GG use was affected by incompatibility with select surgical equipment, 31,38,57,66,67 inability to follow gaze and correct to the line of sight, 31,36,57,66,67 distractibility, 38,40,65,67,72 and propensity to overheat. 55,64 Use of GG may be limited by room lighting, [36][37][38]57,66,67 a need for additional glasses, or surgical magnification loupes. 31,36,37 However, at least 1 study 57 found that GG fit with magnifying loupes for scleral buckling surgery, and others utilized strong adhesive tape for loupe attachment.…”

“…55,64 Use of GG may be limited by room lighting, [36][37][38]57,66,67 a need for additional glasses, or surgical magnification loupes. 31,36,37 However, at least 1 study 57 found that GG fit with magnifying loupes for scleral buckling surgery, and others utilized strong adhesive tape for loupe attachment. 65,68 GG software obstacles include a lack of zoom capability, 57,58,61,67 and connectivity issues that hamper VTC and recorded multimedia audiovisual quality.…”

The Future Medical Science and Colorectal Surgeons

“…Mobile ultrasound, Google Glass, and other mobile devices have already been adopted in medical fields, and data from those wearable devices will be sent to a medical center where clinical review software will be used for the diagnosis and the treatment of patients [ 6 ]. Telemedicine using a health spot center or prehospital care will become more prevalent [ 7 ].…”