Taking advantage of asynchronous digital feedback: development of an at‑home basic suture skills training program for undergraduate medical students that facilitates skills retention
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Date
2023
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Abstract
Purpose to date, there are no training programs for basic suturing that allow remote deliberate practice. This study seeks to evaluate the efectiveness of a basic suture skills training program and its 6-month skill retention applying unsupervised practice and remote digital feedback.
Methods Fourth-year medical-student trainees reviewed instructional videos from a digital platform and performed unsu pervised practice as needed at their homes. When they felt competent, trainees uploaded a video of themselves practicing the skill. In<72 h, they received expert asynchronous digital feedback. The course had two theoretical stages and fve video-based assessments, where trainees performed diferent suturing exercises. For the assessment, a global (GRS) and specifc rating scale (SRS) were used, with a passing score of 20 points (max:25) and 15 (max:20), respectively. Results were compared to previously published work with in-person expert feedback (EF) and video-guided learning without feedback (VGL). A subgroup of trainees underwent a 6-month skills retention assessment.
Results Two-hundred and forty-three trainees underwent the course between March and December 2021. A median GRS of 24 points was achieved in the fnal assessment, showing signifcantly higher scores (p<0.001) than EF and VGL (20.5 and 15.5, respectively). Thirty-seven trainees underwent a 6-month skills retention assessment, improving in GRS (23.38 vs 24.03, p value=0.06) and SRS (18.59 vs 19, p value=0.07).
Conclusion It is feasible to teach basic suture skills to undergraduate medical students using an unsupervised training course with remote and asynchronous feedback through a digital platform. This methodology allows continuous training with the repetition of quality practice, personalized feedback, and skills retention at 6 months.
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Keywords
Basic suture skills, Medicine students, Simulation, Distance-based simulation