Journal of the Formosan Medical Association
Volume 105, Issue 7 , Pages 569-576, 2006

Validation of a Computer-based Bronchoscopy Simulator Developed in Taiwan

  • Jin-Siang Shaw

      Affiliations

    • Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Yi-Ping Hung

      Affiliations

    • Graduate Institute of Networking and Multimedia, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • for the National Taiwan University Endoscopic Simulation Collaborative Study Group (NTUESC)

Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan

Received 25 July 2005; received in revised form 7 September 2005; accepted 6 December 2005.

Article Outline

Background/Purpose

Conventional training in bronchoscopy may increase patient's discomfort and procedure-related morbidity. Computer-based bronchoscopy simulator (CBBS) permits the acquisition and evaluation of the necessary skills through a realistic bronchoscopic experience. This study was conducted to validate the use of a CBBS system developed in Taiwan as a learning and assessment tool.

Methods

Twenty novice bronchoscopists and 10 expert bronchoscopists were enrolled as subjects in this prospective study. The 20 novice bronchoscopists were randomized into two groups, which received conventional bronchoscopic training or CBBS training and then completed a satisfaction survey. Subsequently, the novices who received CBBS training underwent an observational performance trial and the results were compared with those of expert bronchoscopists. All 10 expert bronchoscopists completed a realism survey and observational trial after CBBS performance.

Results

The satisfaction survey showed that the CBBS training program significantly increased participants' satisfaction (p = 0.002) and interest in learning (p < 0.001). The realism survey by the 10 expert broncho-scopists indicated that CBBS provides a favorable degree of realism with regard to the mechanical and visual parameters examined. Analysis of the performance results showed that the following parameters were capable of differentiating the participants by level of expertise: total procedure time (p = 0.002), percentage of bronchial segments entered (p = 0.012), percentage of bronchial segments identified (p<0.001), percentage of repeated bronchial segments entered (p=0.004), percentage of pathologies identified (p<0.001), number of times that the bronchoscope tip collided with airway walls (p = 0.013), and number of times oral instruction was needed (p= 0.01).

Conclusion

CBBS is a valid training method that increases interest in learning and provides a favorable degree of virtual realism. It can also distinguish various levels of competence at actual bronchoscopy and may have a useful role in the bronchoscopic training curriculum.

Key Words:  bronchoscopy , computer , simulation , training

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 A complete list of NTUESC members and their affiliations appears in the Acknowledgments.

PII: S0929-6646(09)60152-2

doi:10.1016/S0929-6646(09)60152-2

Journal of the Formosan Medical Association
Volume 105, Issue 7 , Pages 569-576, 2006

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