BACKGROUND: Pressures on surgical education from restricted working hours and increasing scrutiny of outcomes have been compounded by the development of highly technical surgical procedures requiring additional specialist training. Mental training (MT), the act of performing motor tasks in the 'mind's eye', offers the potential for training outside the operating room. However, the technique is yet to be formally incorporated in surgical curricula. This study aims to review the available literature to determine the role of MT in surgical education. METHODS: EMBASE and Medline databases were searched. The primary outcome measure was surgical proficiency following training. Secondary analyses examined training duration, forms of MT and trainees level of experience. Study quality was assessed using Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials scores or Quality Assessment Tool for Before-After (Pre-Post) Studies with No Control Group. RESULTS: Fourteen trials with 618 participants met the inclusion criteria, of which 11 were randomized and three longitudinal. Ten studies found MT to be beneficial. Mental rehearsal was the most commonly used form of training. No significant correlation was found between the length of MT and outcomes. MT benefitted expert surgeons more than medical students or novice surgeons. CONCLUSION: The majority studies demonstrate MT to be beneficial in surgical education especially amongst more experienced surgeons within a well-structured MT programme. However, overall studies were low quality, lacked sufficient methodology and suffered from small sample sizes. For these reasons, further research is required to determine optimal role of MT as a supplementary educational tool within the surgical curriculum.
BACKGROUND: Pressures on surgical education from restricted working hours and increasing scrutiny of outcomes have been compounded by the development of highly technical surgical procedures requiring additional specialist training. Mental training (MT), the act of performing motor tasks in the 'mind's eye', offers the potential for training outside the operating room. However, the technique is yet to be formally incorporated in surgical curricula. This study aims to review the available literature to determine the role of MT in surgical education. METHODS: EMBASE and Medline databases were searched. The primary outcome measure was surgical proficiency following training. Secondary analyses examined training duration, forms of MT and trainees level of experience. Study quality was assessed using Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials scores or Quality Assessment Tool for Before-After (Pre-Post) Studies with No Control Group. RESULTS: Fourteen trials with 618 participants met the inclusion criteria, of which 11 were randomized and three longitudinal. Ten studies found MT to be beneficial. Mental rehearsal was the most commonly used form of training. No significant correlation was found between the length of MT and outcomes. MT benefitted expert surgeons more than medical students or novice surgeons. CONCLUSION: The majority studies demonstrate MT to be beneficial in surgical education especially amongst more experienced surgeons within a well-structured MT programme. However, overall studies were low quality, lacked sufficient methodology and suffered from small sample sizes. For these reasons, further research is required to determine optimal role of MT as a supplementary educational tool within the surgical curriculum.
Authors: Gian Maria Busetto; Francesco Del Giudice; Andrea Mari; Isabella Sperduti; Nicola Longo; Alessandro Antonelli; Maria Angela Cerruto; Elisabetta Costantini; Marco Carini; Andrea Minervini; Bernardo Rocco; Walter Artibani; Angelo Porreca; Francesco Porpiglia; Rocco Damiano; Marco De Sio; Davide Arcaniolo; Sebastiano Cimino; Giorgio Ivan Russo; Giuseppe Lucarelli; Pasquale Di Tonno; Paolo Gontero; Francesco Soria; Carlo Trombetta; Giovanni Liguori; Roberto Mario Scarpa; Rocco Papalia; Carlo Terrone; Marco Borghesi; Paolo Verze; Massimo Madonia; Antonello De Lisa; Pierluigi Bove; Giorgio Guazzoni; Giovanni Lughezzani; Marco Racioppi; Luca Di Gianfrancesco; Eugenio Brunocilla; Riccardo Schiavina; Claudio Simeone; Alessandro Veccia; Francesco Montorsi; Alberto Briganti; Fabrizio Dal Moro; Carlo Pavone; Vincenzo Serretta; Savino Mauro Di Stasi; Andrea Benedetto Galosi; Luigi Schips; Michele Marchioni; Emanuele Montanari; Giuseppe Carrieri; Luigi Cormio; Francesco Greco; Gennaro Musi; Martina Maggi; Simon L Conti; Andrea Tubaro; Ettore De Berardinis; Alessandro Sciarra; Michele Gallucci; Vincenzo Mirone; Ottavio de Cobelli; Matteo Ferro Journal: Front Surg Date: 2020-11-24