Usability Challenges in Surgical Simulator Training

Abstract

Surgical virtual reality simulators have been taken into use in order to improve surgical skills training. Emergence of simulators increases the need for research and knowledge related to usability of medical simulators. In this study usability of laparoscopic surgical simulator was researched experimentally through combined analysis. Data was gathered with heuristic evaluation, questionnaires, and interviews as well as recorded simulator parameters. Results suggest that the surgical simulator could be more efficient learning and training tool if usability issues such as support and error prevention were reconsidered in more detail. There also seem to be grounds for connecting user support into structured simulator training program.