The Role of Technology in Ophthalmic Surgical Education During COVID-19.
CURRENT SURGERY REPORTS 2022;
10:239-245. [PMID:
36404795 PMCID:
PMC9662128 DOI:
10.1007/s40137-022-00334-9]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Purpose of Review
To describe the effect of COVID-19 on ophthalmic training programs and to review the various roles of technology in ophthalmology surgical education including virtual platforms, novel remote learning curricula, and the use of surgical simulators.
Recent Findings
COVID-19 caused significant disruption to in-person clinical and surgical patient encounters. Ophthalmology trainees worldwide faced surgical training challenges due to social distancing restrictions, trainee redeployment, and reduction in surgical case volume. Virtual platforms, such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, were widely used during the pandemic to conduct remote teaching sessions. Novel virtual wet lab and dry lab curricula were developed. Training programs found utility in virtual reality surgical simulators, such as the Eyesi, to substitute experience lost from live patient surgical cases.
Summary
Although several of these described technologies were incorporated into ophthalmology surgical training programs prior to COVID-19, the pandemic highlighted the importance of developing a formal surgical curriculum that can be delivered virtually. Novel telementoring, collaboration between training institutions, and hybrid formats of didactic and practical training sessions should be continued. Future research should investigate the utility of augmented reality and artificial intelligence for trainee learning.
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