363 Development and Validation of a Virtual Teaching Method for Minimally Invasive Surgery Skills

Abstract

Abstract Aim Remote teaching of surgical skills has rapidly emerged as a promising alternative to the traditional face-to-face (F2F) format. This study sought to evaluate whether minimally invasive surgery (MIS) skills could be taught remotely using available technology with objective assessments of proficiency. Method In a pilot study, we compared face-to-face (F2F) and virtual training for novice MIS learners, evaluating proficiency through objective parameters. The pilot refined methods, and the subsequent course was the evaluation basis. Virtual training shifted from conventional to personalised teaching in the second round, introducing headphones for enhanced guidance. Optimisation achieved comparable online teaching quality to F2F. Evaluation tasks included peg transfer (MISTELS) and suturing (SUTT) on box trainers. Results Technical challenges in delivering a virtual MIS skills course were successfully addressed, particularly through the personalised approach in an isolated fashion in the second pilot course. Participants (n = 20) in the final course had similar baseline characteristics and were randomly allocated to F2F (n = 8) and virtual (n = 12) teaching groups. Participants in the virtual group demonstrated faster completion of the peg transfer task compared to the F2F group (11.25 minutes vs. 16.88 minutes; p = 0.015). However, no significant differences were observed in other MISTELS and SUTT performance measures or cognitive workload. parameters. Conclusions This study demonstrates that virtual teaching of MIS skills using a web-based streaming platform is feasible and effective, providing the foundation for scalable future programs. Online surgical skills teaching offers simultaneous access for learners in different regions and reduces costs and travel time.