Internet-Based Digital Simulation for Cleft Surgery Education: A 5-Year Assessment of Demographics, Usage, and Global Effect

Simulation-Based Comprehensive Cleft Care Workshops: A Reproducible Model for Sustainable Education

“…However, financial and logistical restraints have prevented the widespread use, availability, or adoption of these educational resources in developing countries. Nevertheless, previous experience suggests that these resources carry significant potential in addressing global disparities in cleft surgery education when made freely available, as recently demonstrated by an online cleft surgery simulator reaching surgeons and trainees in more than 130 countries, for a total screen time of nearly 1700 hours (Kantar et al, 2018). With these factors in mind, we have previously organized the first simulation-based comprehensive cleft care workshop in the Middle-East/North Africa region in 2018, with participants reporting an overall positive experience.…”

Sustainable Cleft Care Through Education: The First Simulation-Based Comprehensive Workshop in the Middle East and North Africa Region

“…Nevertheless, online, freely available, easily accessible, digital surgical simulators provide a valuable tool capable of reaching surgeons around the globe. This was recently demonstrated by an online cleft surgery simulator reaching surgeons from more than 130 countries, accounting for nearly 95% of the world population, for a total screen time of nearly 1700 hours, with the majority of users attesting to its efficacy in cleft surgery education (Kantar et al, 2018). The same simulator demonstrated significant superiority over traditional textbook in teaching novice learners unilateral cleft lip repair markings, with the vast majority of learners expressing preference for the simulator over textbook as an educational tool (Plana et al, 2018).…”

“…This was recently demonstrated by an online cleft surgery simulator reaching surgeons from more than 130 countries, accounting for nearly 95% of the world population, for a total screen time of nearly 1700 hours, with the majority of users attesting to its efficacy in cleft surgery education (Kantar et al, 2018). The same simulator demonstrated significant superiority over traditional textbook in teaching novice learners unilateral cleft lip repair markings, with the vast majority of learners expressing preference for the simulator over textbook as an educational tool (Plana et al, 2018). Hands-on simulators offer surgical trainees the unique opportunity for skills and performance assessment with real-time feedback and guidance through the procedure.…”

An Update on Cleft Palate Simulators for Training on Cleft Palate Treatment in Developing Countries

“…Partnerships between international leaders in cleft care, regional health care authorities, and the biomedical industry sector can transcend the challenges listed above and deliver these simulators to developing countries where they are most needed, as demonstrated by the recently held first simulation-based comprehensive cleft care educational workshop in the Middle East and North Africa region, and the impressive global impact of a freely available digital cleft surgery simulator. 4,5 Such initiatives bear significant potential for building surgical capacity, training the next generation of cleft surgeons, and achieving sustainable cleft care through education in developing countries.…”