Thyroidectomy Teaching Module

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Background: Over the past 15 years, surgical education has experienced a paradigm shift from a traditional time-based model to competency-based curricula.1 This, in combination with increasing resident work hour restrictions, results in a demand for supplemental educational tools for surgical training.2 Video teaching modules have been shown to be effective tools in surgical education, complementing traditional postgraduate curricula.3 For thyroidectomy, a procedure that the graduating Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery resident must be proficient at, there are no validated teaching modules described in the literature. Thus, our primary objective was to design a high-definition video-based teaching module instructing thyroidectomy surgery. Materials and Methods: Three women between the ages of 18 and 65 consented to have their thyroidectomy procedure video recorded. Module footage was obtained from these three surgeries. Surgery was completed by a single, fellowship-trained head and neck oncologic surgeon at the University of Alberta Hospital with a high-volume thyroid surgery practice (>80 thyroid surgeries per year).4 Results: A hierarchical task analysis determined the component steps of the operation.5 From this, the 12-minute module was developed using a three-camera system and detailed a step-by-step approach to the surgery. Video footage and instructional content validity were ensured through the consultation of five fellowship-trained head and neck surgeons with high-volume thyroid surgery practices. As a video duration of 0–3 minutes has been shown to be most effective for learner engagement, the module was divided into six sections, each no longer than 3 minutes in duration.6 Conclusion: This is the first validated video teaching module instructing thyroidectomy surgery. High-definition video teaching modules are a useful complement to traditional surgical training. In a climate wherein new innovations for teaching thyroid surgery are needed, properly constructed and validated video teaching modules can serve as important tools in supplementing traditional surgical training. Acknowledgments: The design and creation of this video were made possible by financial grants from the Alberta Head and Neck Centre for Oncology and Reconstruction (AHNCOR) Foundation. No competing financial interests exist. Runtime of video: 11 mins 59 secs This abstract was previously presented at the 86th Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association in Denver, Colorado.