Our learnings in implementing latest adult learning principles in endoscopic trainings
Medical education has evolved tremendously over the past decade. There are more and more educational research publications that outline how medical professionals. learn, retain and apply learning their relevant clinical practices.
Competency based learning and concept of deliberate practice
Over the past few years, we in Stöckli Medical have made a conscious decision to increase our investment to developing and executing new, and more rigorous education programs for our surgeon partners. Stöckli Medical’s new Continuing Professional Development (CPD) team has extensively researched the latest evidence in modern medical education. We have now created an exciting and novel approach to support our surgeon partners learn the knowledge, know how, and skills to perform safer and effective surgery, which will lead to better surgical outcomes.
Stöckli Medical Education Concept:
Michael Piccirillo’s , internationally renowned educationalist, previously Executive Director AO Spine, Executive Director AO Trauma, VP Clinical Professional Development Nuvasive:
Adult learning principles
To make a learning intervention even more impactful, Stöckli Medical develop their trainings around the latest adult learning principles, like:
- become fully learning oriented: learn more – learn less
- Identify the learning needs of our surgical partners.
- Focus on clinical problems and information that can be used in clinical practice.
- Identify performance gaps and define relevant competencies in practice
- Assist surgeons in applying these new competencies to clinical practice
- Integrate assessment into the process to promote learning and performance.
Our learning from the implementation of the above tools into an Endoscopic Training.
Spinal Endoscopy for herniated discs and stenosis treatment are approches that gain more and more acceptance in the World and in Switzerland due to the many advantages for patients. One major concern remains the long perceived learning curve. Stöckli Medical conceptionalized a training concept together with PD Dr. Jean-Yves Fournier, Chief Surgeon Neurosurgery in Sion, and Mr. Michael Piccirillo, a worldwide renowned Educationalist in the Spinal field. The training is based on latest adult learning approaches as deliberate practice with RealSpine simulation models applied with Peyton model, gap analyses, Gibbs’s reflection models and others. Each participant can train on a model to learn the basic handling of the instruments and then perform 4 endoscopic surgeries on a RealSpine model by himself and additional 4 assisting his colleague.
Also, there was clear reduction of the operating time; after each following “surgery” the time of the intervention was reduced. Also, there was a reduction of the intervention time for the surgeon who could assist the first surgery and then perform as second.
After conducting 8 endoscopy training courses in Switzerland over the past 2 years, we continuously improved the concept to make it as effective as possible.