Abstract
BackgroundBenefits of simulation training are widely recognized, but its structural implementation into urological curricula remains challenging. This study aims to gain insight into current and ideal urological practical skills training and presents the outline of a newly developed skills training program, including an assessment of the design characteristics that may increase its acceptability.MethodsA questionnaire was sent to the urology residents (n = 87) and program directors (n = 45) of all Dutch teaching hospitals. Open- and close-ended questions were used to determine the views on current and ideal skills training and the newly developed skills training program. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with 39 residents and 15 program directors. All interviews were audiotaped, fully transcribed, and thereafter analyzed.ResultsResponse was 87.4 % for residents and 86.7 % for program directors. Residents appeared to be still predominantly trained ‘by doing’. Structured practical skills training in local hospitals takes place according to 12 % of the residents versus 44 % of the program directors (p < 0.001). Ideally, residents prefer to practice certain procedures on simulation models first, especially in endourology. The majority of residents (92 %) and program directors (87 %) approved of implementing the newly developed skills training program (p = 0.51). ‘Structured scheduling’, ‘use of peer teaching’ and ‘high fidelity models’ were indicated as design characteristics that increase its acceptability.ConclusionsCurrent urological residency training consists of patient-related ‘learning by doing’, although more practice on simulation models is desired. The acceptability of implementing the presented skills-training program is high. Design characteristics that increase its acceptability are structured scheduling, the use of peer teaching and high fidelity models.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12894-015-0084-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Benefits of simulation training are widely recognized, but its structural implementation into urological curricula remains challenging
This study presents the outline of the newly developed Dutch Urology Practical Skills (D-UPS) program and aimed to answer the questions: ‘How do residents currently and ideally learn their practical urology skills?’ and ‘Which design characteristics may increase the acceptability of urological practical skills training programs such as D-UPS?’
The program combines the acquisition and rehearsal of basic theoretical knowledge, based on theory derived from the national courses and expert input, with practical training of basic urological skills and techniques
Summary
Benefits of simulation training are widely recognized, but its structural implementation into urological curricula remains challenging. This study aims to gain insight into current and ideal urological practical skills training and presents the outline of a newly developed skills training program, including an assessment of the design characteristics that may increase its acceptability. In present time, training outside the patient is widely accepted and several studies have shown that urological skills can be improved by simulation training [1, 2]. Sweet et al emphasized the value of the backward design principle of Wiggins and McTighe [9] According to this principle, the purpose and learning outcome must be determined first, after which learning objectives are established by working backwards from the desired outcomes
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