LAUSR

OBJECTIVE With the changing landscape of postgraduate surgical education to competency-based curricula, there emerges a need for alternative forms of training. Video teaching modules have been shown to be effective tools in surgical education, complementing traditional postgraduate curricula. There is a lack of validated modules described in the literature, specifically for teaching thyroidectomy. The primary objective of this study was to develop and validate a high definition video-based teaching module instructing thyroidectomy surgery to Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery trainees. DESIGN This prospective study included intermediate to senior Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery residents. Each participant first performed a thyroid lobectomy, serving as the initial assessment. After a washout period of at least 3 weeks, each participant was given the teaching module. The 15-minute module was developed using a 3-camera system and detailed a step-by-step approach to the surgery. After exposure to the module, each trainee performed the same procedure. Recordings of both procedures were deidentified and reviewed by a blinded, independent evaluator. Scoring was done using the Observational Clinical Human Reliability Assessment (OCHRA) system. SETTING University of Alberta Hospital and Royal Alexandra Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. PARTICIPANTS A total of 6 intermediate to senior Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery residents entered and completed the study. RESULTS The mean error rate was 8.8 errors per procedure before module exposure and 4.5 errors per procedure after exposure, representing a 49% decrease in error occurrence (p < 0.05). The mean staff takeover event rate was 10.5 takeovers per procedure prior to module exposure and 5.0 takeovers per procedure after exposure, representing a 52% decrease in error occurrence (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION High-definition video teaching modules are a useful complement to traditional surgical training. In a climate where new innovations for teaching thyroid surgery are needed, properly constructed and validated video teaching modules can serve as important tools in supplementing traditional surgical training.