Training on a virtual reality cricothyroidotomy simulator improves skills and transfers to a simulated procedure

Objective: The virtual airway skills trainer (VAST) is a virtual reality simulator for training in cricothyroidotomy (CCT). The goal of the study is to test the effectiveness of training and transfer of skills of the VAST-CCT.

Methods: Two groups, control (no training) and simulation (2 weeks of proficiency-based training), participated in this study. Subjects in the control condition did not receive any training on the task whereas those in the simulation received a proficiency-based training on the task during a period of 2 weeks. Two weeks post-training, both groups performed CCT on the TraumaMan to demonstrate the transfer of skills.

Results: A total of (n=20) subjects participated in the study. The simulation group performed better than the control group at both the post-test (p<0.001) and retention test (p<0.001) on the simulator. The cumulative sum analysis showed that all subjects in the simulation group reached proficiency with acceptable failure rate within the 2 weeks of training. On the transfer test, the simulation group performed better on skin cut (p<0.001), intubation (p<0.001) and total score (p<0.001) than the control group.

Conclusions: The VAST-CCT is effective in training and skills transfer for the CCT procedure.

Level of evidence: Not applicable. Simulator validation study.