The role of augmented reality in advancing medical training techniques: a study on cricothyroidotomy (Preprint)
Hyunchung Cho, Jongchul Kim, Sumin Kim, Hansol Chang, Sejin Heo, Minha Kim, Se Uk Lee, Won Chul Cha, Taerim Kim · 2023
BACKGROUND Cricothyroidotomy, which is as crucial as tracheal intubation in difficult airway situations, does not have many actual instances, therefore few medical professionals are familiar with the method. The purpose of this study was to develop a Cricothyroidotomy training program utilizing Augmented Reality (AR), which has lately been utilized extensively to medical education, to determine if it can be used in the clinical setting as effectively as traditional training. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficiency compared to existing education of conducting cricothyroidotomy education by medical staff through AR-based education. METHODS This prospective pilot study was conducted in Samsung Medical Center (SMC), Seoul from November to December 2022. Doctors and Emergency medical technicians (EMT) who have never experienced HoloLens before have been registered. We randomized a total of 30 participants into two groups: PowerPoint presentation (PPT) and AR groups. AR group participants were trained step by step by wearing head-mounted displays, while PPT group used presentations displayed on their laptop computers. Participants conducted a total of five training sessions, and after two weeks, they went through one more training to see how well they remembered the procedure. RESULTS The total time required for the procedure was derived as primary outcome. As for the second outcome, confidence, satisfaction, and pre-posttest were conducted through a survey between two groups. In addition, researchers assigned educational evaluation indicators for participants' cricothyroidotomy skills and conducted usability evaluation for HoloLens2 through Stell Use Stainless (SUS) and HoloLens Likert feedback surveys. In the estimated procedure time, which was the main outcome, both groups were recorded similarly, and performance satisfaction was also similar. CONCLUSIONS Examining the time required for the pre-post exam revealed that students' short-term memories were preserved, and educational satisfaction was high. These findings underscore the success of this training approach, particularly in scenarios where remote learning is essential, including situations influenced by factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and other constraints.