Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, a Harvard Medical School affiliate, has released a new system for learning how to perform and deal with the various issues that arise during phacoemulsification cataract surgery. Cataract Master is an interactive simulator that presents students with various real-world scenarios, has them make decisions on the necessary steps, and plays out the chosen scenario to demonstrate the process and the end results. Videos, including practicing surgeons discussing various nuances of the procedure, are presented in the simulator where they are relevant. The system was developed by leading ophthalmologists, including the director of Harvard Medical School’s Ophthalmology Residency Training Program.
Here’s an excellent demo video presenting the Cataract Master:
Computer –based simulation technology has been used in medical training since the early 2000s, but these tools often did not take into account the hundreds of decision-making requirements that arise during surgery. The Cataract Master is different in that it offers a self-guided, self-correcting curriculum that requires trainees to make decisions based on realistic surgical situations. The simulator, which can be accessed from any personal computer, contains realistic animations along with videos of actual surgeries – complete with expert discussions of each phase of the procedure. The interactive program includes frequent pop-up questions relating to the various surgical steps, with user answers then animated on-screen. If the user makes a serious error, videos provide immediate feedback explaining how the problem occurred, what to do to fix it, and how to avoid making the same mistake again.
Product page: Cataract Master…
