TP8.2.19 Virtual versus In-Person Education Research (VIPER) in Surgical Skills Teaching: A crossover randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Abstract Aims To compare effectiveness of virtual versus in-person teaching of one-handed reef knot to medical students. Methodology 20 students were randomised into 2 groups of 10, to learn to tie one-handed reef knot. Group A attended a 15-minute virtual session followed by a 15-minute in-person session; vice versa for Group B simultaneously. For the virtual session, trainer and students used online platform, Zoom, on an overhead webcam-laptop workstation in separate rooms. For the in-person session, trainer and students were in one room. Anonymous written feedback was collected from all students. Results 50% of the students had previous experience in knot-tying. On average, the instruction clarity and support received during the virtual session were reported to be less by Group A than Group B. 30% reported non-inferiority in the virtual method to in-person in fulfilling their training needs to learn this skill. 80% said they could have benefited from more time during the virtual session when compared to learning the same skill in-person. During the virtual sessions, 60% encountered technical difficulties relating to internet (20%), Zoom (25%), trainer availability (10%), and hardware (5%). 35% felt that a fully virtual session is suitable for learning one-handed reef knot. 30% stated they would attend a fully virtual basic surgical skills course whilst 40% would attend a partially virtual one. Conclusion Initial experience with virtual surgical skills teaching revealed promising potential based on student feedback. Further focused studies with targeted optimisation are warranted for it to be a viable alternative to traditional in-person teaching.