Teaching intravenous cannulation to medical students: Comparative analysis of two simulators and two traditional educational approaches

Mark W. Bowyer*, Elisabeth A. Pimentel, Jennifer B. Fellows, Ryan L. Scofield, Vincent L. Ackerman, Patrick E. Horne, Alan V. Liu, Gerald R. Schwartz, Mark W. Scerbo

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

25 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study examines the effectiveness of two virtual reality simulators when compared with traditional methods of teaching intravenous (IV) cannulation to third year medical students. Thirty-four third year medical students were divided into four groups and then trained to perform an IV cannulation using either CathSim™, Virtual I.V. ™, a plastic simulated arm or by practicing IV placement on each other. All subjects watched a five minute training video and completed a cannulation pretest and posttest on the simulated arm. The results showed significant improvement from pretest to posttest in each of the four groups. Students trained on the Virtual I.V.™ showed significantly greater improvement over baseline when compared with the simulated arm group (p < .026). Both simulators provided at least equal training to traditional methods of teaching, a finding with implications for future training of this procedure to novices.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationMedicine Meets Virtual Reality 13
Subtitle of host publicationThe Magical Next Becomes the Medical Now, MMVR 2005
PublisherIOS Press
Pages57-63
Number of pages7
ISBN (Print)1586034987, 9781586034986
StatePublished - 2005
Externally publishedYes
Event13th Annual Conference on Medicine Meets Virtual Reality: The Magical Next Becomes the Medical Now, MMVR 2005 - Long Beach, CA, United States
Duration: 26 Jan 200529 Jan 2005

Publication series

NameStudies in Health Technology and Informatics
Volume111
ISSN (Print)0926-9630
ISSN (Electronic)1879-8365

Conference

Conference13th Annual Conference on Medicine Meets Virtual Reality: The Magical Next Becomes the Medical Now, MMVR 2005
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityLong Beach, CA
Period26/01/0529/01/05

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