Now available on our website:
the new and improved list of ‘tips and tricks for use’ of our TD box and silicon models!
Login:
Meet the new way of medical training
by probu-admin
Now available on our website:
the new and improved list of ‘tips and tricks for use’ of our TD box and silicon models!
Login:
by probu-admin
Read time: 2 minutes
University medical facilities are often on the cutting-edge of training and simulation techniques and the published results are invaluable resources. However, these naturally focus upon academic training of medical students. Medical training is broader than that: from new apparatus training for seasoned professionals to various levels of training for health care assistants, nurses, and GI technicians. In this blog, we propose ways to look beyond the assumptions made in traditional university endoscopic-training literature and examine some areas that reflect the challenges of the medical world anno 2020.
I: recurrent training
Current articles focus little attention on career-long medical training, including that of endoscopy. Compare this to the aviation practices: no matter how experienced, skilled, and well-trained they are, pilots are required to follow strict guidelines for recurrent training. This means that thankfully, planes are flown by someone who 1) has mastered the newest apparatus and techniques in a controlled setting 2) has fresh knowledge of emergency protocol when something goes wrong.
Certainly, there are medical institutions where staff regularly train to master new equipment and techniques through simulation and systematically review emergency protocol rather than relying solely on—often vague recollections of— their initial training. There are many others for whom this is only an ideal-world notion. Is it time to regulate recurrent training in the medical field?
II: increased awareness of the associated costs
Hundreds of articles have been written about endoscopic training, but very few discuss financial aspects. Live and ex-vivo models require substantial investments, especially considering how briefly the tissues are viable. Computer models require a hefty initial outlay (€30,000+) and then ‘job done,’ right? Wrong. All sophisticated equipment has inevitable ‘hidden’ costs: upkeep, reprogramming, even basic operational expenses.
Considering the spiraling costs of running medical facilities, more conscious expenditure on training facilities must be a priority in 2020 and beyond.
III: flexibility
While both wet and dry simulated methods justifiably play star role in the literature concerning training, neither meets a medical professional’s need today for speed and flexibility. Hectic careers and limited and unpredictable ‘windows of opportunity’ require a mobile, train-when-and-wherever-you-can solution for practicing with new implements. It is impossible to regularly hone one’s skills when training needs to be planned weeks, if not months, in advance and cannot easily be rescheduled.
Conclusion
When it comes to training to use sophisticated equipment and increasingly intricate technique, there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. What works for a nurse or novice med student is too simplistic for a specialist fellow or an advanced professional wanting to master the new procedures. That’s why it is essential to go beyond the status quo and find methods that better suit the complexity of modern medicine.
Sources:
“Simulation in endoscopy: Practical educational strategies to improve learning” World Journal of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Vol. 11, no. 3: 2019
‘Endoscopic simulation: where we have been and where we are going’ Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Vol. 61, no. 2: 2005
by probu-admin
Training for foreign-body procedures
Ingestion of foreign bodies is on the rise, with sometimes devastating effects on the most vulnerable: children and the elderly. Fortunately, developments in specialized endoscopic techniques and equipment are keeping pace: facilitating quicker and safer removal of foreign bodies.
Recently Vlietland Hospital (in Schiedam, a city close to Rotterdam) used MTT’s silicone upper-GI model and TD-box for a training session focused upon the removal of batteries. Especially when lodged in the esophagus, batteries can lead to quickly to life-threatening burns and complications.
These photos give an impression of the training while nurses Marlon, Marit and Patty share experiences and challenge each other. They examined, for instance, what kinds of retrieval devices, net or basket, hood or overtube—works best for different types of battery: block, cylindrical or, particularly prevalent, dangerous and challenging, button cell. In this way their general knowledge improves, and they prepare for urgent cases, which saves time and stress during critical situations.
by probu-admin
“Now I’m ready to go!” was Professor Rasti Kunda’s enthusiastic reaction after having trained using MTT’s silicone upper-GI model at the academic hospital in Brussels (Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, UZB).
The photos give an impression of his training in utilizing a new device from Endogastric Solutions for the TIF procedure (transoral incisionless fundoplication), an advanced therapeutic endoscopy method which is primarily used for relieving the chronic acid-reflux symptoms associated with GERD.
by probu-admin
On Thursday January 9th, gastroenterologist Dr. Jan Willem Straathof of the Maxima Medical Center, located in the Dutch cities of Veldhoven and Eindhoven, gave a second training session on the Apollo Overstitch for doctors and nurses using Medical Training Tools’ TD-Box and silicone stomach model. He highlighted the importance and value of “repeated training of the skills needed to master technically challenging procedures.”
‘Practice makes perfect’ is, like most clichés, based on truth. Unfortunately, busy schedules often mean that training gets relegated to the category of ‘ideal world, no time.’ The right tools—combining convenience and easy-to-maintain hygiene—spell the difference between good-on-paper ‘New Year’s resolutions’ and positive and essential change!
by probu-admin
Medical Training Tools is proud to announce our participation on October 10th and 11th in the “Flexible Endoscopy for Surgeons” workshop at the Gent University Hospital.
During the workshop, Dr. Heyman, Prof. Dr. Kunda, and others will hold hand-on training sessions using MTT’s TD-Box with both animal models and our made-for-purpose silicone upper-GI models.