Competency Assessment in Virtual Reality-Based Simulation in Neurosurgical Training

Comprehensive Healthcare Simulation: Neurosurgery. May 19th, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75583-0_12

Laura Stone McGuire, Ali Alara. 

Abstract

As the development of virtual reality (VR) and simulation technologies have progressed, so has their incorporation into graduate medical education, especially within surgical specialties. The attention on duty-hour restrictions, the emphasis on patient safety, as well as the advancement of complex surgical techniques, all contribute to the increasing use and utility of virtual reality simulation in neurosurgical training. Additionally, residency programs have sought quantitative measures of competency to achieve the ACGME milestones, and simulation software generally provides detailed proficiency and performance reports for the user, which could be implemented as an evaluative tool throughout training. This brief chapter will overview developments in virtual reality simulation within neurosurgery and their competency-directed use in graduate medical education. Other chapters within this textbook will review specific technologies in more detail.