Programa de simulación quirúrgica oftalmológica Skills Transfer: estudio de percepción sobre la formación recibida en el contexto de un congreso médico

Abstract

Objective: To describe the perception of the participants of the ophthalmic surgical simulation program Skills Transfer, carried out at the Pan-American Congress of Ophthalmology held in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Methods: Cross-sectional study. A 12-question electronic survey was administered to physicians participating in the surgical simulation module called Skills Transfer during the Pan American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO) Congress, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in March 2023. This module had stations for pterygium, amniotic membrane, corneal refractive surgery, cataract, strabismus surgery, glaucoma, retinopathy of prematurity and corneal transplantation.  The responses of all participants were recorded and analyzed.

Results: There were 119 participants, 51 residents (42.86%), 41 ophthalmologists (34.45%) and 27 ophthalmologists with sub-specialty (22.69%). The highest participation was from Argentina (61.34%), Uruguay (6.72%), Bolivia (5.90%) and Peru (5.90%), with students from 14 countries in total. The stations with the highest participation were: cataract surgery (47.1%) and glaucoma (28.57%). When asked whether the surgery was realistically simulated, 57.98% were in complete agreement and 36.13% agreed. 71.43% strongly agreed that it improved their skills and 72.27% felt that it improved their confidence. All responded positively regarding the usefulness of having surgical simulation activities at ophthalmology congresses.

Conclusions: The implementation of surgical training activities by means of simulation modules during the course of a congress was well perceived by its participants.