Background
The objective of this randomized controlled trial was to determine whether a goal-setting
program integrated into a surgical training curriculum would improve performance on
simulation testing times and confidence with laparoscopic operative skills.
Methods
Beginning in 2013, 36 students and 26 general surgery residents were randomized separately
into 3 groups. Trainees were either given no time goals for each of 5 Fundamentals
of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) tasks or were given time goals that were the mean time
scores or the best time scores reported in the literature for passing each FLS task.
All trainees were evaluated for each task with time scores and a confidence survey
both prior to and after the training program.
Results
For the students, all confidence scores and task times improved significantly from
pre- to post-training. The average percent improvement in task times was greater for
all 5 tasks in the 2 groups assigned to the goals compared to the no-goals group with
the combined 5-task, mean percent improvement (P = .02). Overall, the students assigned to the mean-goal group improved more than
the best or no-goal groups (P = .048). In the residents assigned to goals, all task times improved significantly
pre/post, although the overall average percent improvement between groups was not
different. Residents in both the no-goals and the goals groups improved their confidence
with skills pre- to post-training.
Conclusion
The addition of achievable goals, defined as the average task time for residents who
passed the FLS, was beneficial to students, because by achieving these goals, the
students were able to achieve faster task times with improved confidence. Setting
appropriate goals may improve laparoscopic operative skills in students. Suitable
goals were also shown to strengthen accuracy and confidence in residents’ laparoscopic
operative skills.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 13, 2016
Accepted:
July 14,
2016
Identification
Copyright
© 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
