Assessment of Obstetric and Gynecology Residents: An Assessment of Attitudes before and after Initiation of a Robotic Training Curriculum

Abstract

Study Objective Surgical training in gynecology is constantly evolvingwith new techniques and practices developing. Surgical training modules are of particular importance in academic training centers. Robotic surgical training poses a challenge to both leaders and learners to provide comprehensive and consistent education for the development of appropriate surgical skills. The purpose of this study was to evaluate for improvement in resident comfort level after initiation of a formal robotics training curriculum. Design This was an IRB exempt survey of residents within an Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN) training program. Two voluntary, anonymous questionnaires were distributed to residents to evaluate their comfort level both before and after initiation of a formal robotic curriculum. A comparative assessment was performed to assess for improved resident comfort levels training on the robotic console. Setting N/A. Patients or Participants Participants in this study included post-graduate years (PGY) 1-4 residents enrolled in the 2019-2020 academic year completed at the University of Florida (UF) Health-Jacksonville Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN) residency program. Interventions A formal robotic surgical training curriculum was introduced which consisted of online modules, documented training on the SimNow robotic simulator and in-person in-service of the DaVinci platform in a non-operative setting. Measurements and Main Results After analyzing results of the surveys, consistent improvement in resident comfort level with regards to robotic surgery was noted in all eight of the subjective questions included on the survey. Participants’ comfort level and understanding statistically improved in response to questions 1-5 and 7 with p value < 0.05. Conclusion Given these findings, we recommend routine implementation of a formal robotic training program for surgical trainees in an academic setting. Implementation of a standardized robotic surgery-training curriculum can accelerate trainee's readiness and their comfort level in performing robotic surgery during residency, therefore optimizing their surgical training prior to graduation. Surgical training in gynecology is constantly evolvingwith new techniques and practices developing. Surgical training modules are of particular importance in academic training centers. Robotic surgical training poses a challenge to both leaders and learners to provide comprehensive and consistent education for the development of appropriate surgical skills. The purpose of this study was to evaluate for improvement in resident comfort level after initiation of a formal robotics training curriculum. This was an IRB exempt survey of residents within an Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN) training program. Two voluntary, anonymous questionnaires were distributed to residents to evaluate their comfort level both before and after initiation of a formal robotic curriculum. A comparative assessment was performed to assess for improved resident comfort levels training on the robotic console. N/A. Participants in this study included post-graduate years (PGY) 1-4 residents enrolled in the 2019-2020 academic year completed at the University of Florida (UF) Health-Jacksonville Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN) residency program. A formal robotic surgical training curriculum was introduced which consisted of online modules, documented training on the SimNow robotic simulator and in-person in-service of the DaVinci platform in a non-operative setting. After analyzing results of the surveys, consistent improvement in resident comfort level with regards to robotic surgery was noted in all eight of the subjective questions included on the survey. Participants’ comfort level and understanding statistically improved in response to questions 1-5 and 7 with p value < 0.05. Given these findings, we recommend routine implementation of a formal robotic training program for surgical trainees in an academic setting. Implementation of a standardized robotic surgery-training curriculum can accelerate trainee's readiness and their comfort level in performing robotic surgery during residency, therefore optimizing their surgical training prior to graduation.