Medical students’ self-assessed efficacy and satisfaction with training on endotracheal intubation and central venous catheterization with smart glasses in Taiwan: a non-equivalent control-group pre- and post-test study

Abstract

Purpose: Endotracheal intubation and central venous catheterization are essential procedures in clinical practice. Simulation-based technology such as smart glasses has been used to facilitate the training of these procedures for medical students. We investigate medical students’ self-assessed efficacy and satisfaction regarding the practice and training of these procedures with smart glasses in Taiwan.Methods: This observational study enrolled 145 medical students of 5th and 6th year receiving clerkship at Taipei Veterans General Hospital between October 2020 and December 2021. Students were divided into the smart glasses or the control group and received training at the workshop. The primary outcomes included students’ pre- and post-intervention score of self-assessed efficacy and satisfaction with the training tool, instructor’s teaching, and the workshop.Results: The pre-intervention score of self-assessed efficacy of 5th and 6th year medical students in endotracheal intubation and central venous catheterization procedures had no significant difference. The post-intervention score of self-assessed efficacy in the smart glasses group was better than that of the control group. Moreover, 6th-year medical students in the smart glasses group showed higher satisfaction with the training tool, instructor’s teaching, and the workshop than that of the control group. Conclusion: Smart glasses act as a suitable simulation tool for endotracheal intubation and central venous catheterization procedures training in medical students. Medical students practicing with smart glasses showed improved self-assessed efficacy and higher satisfaction with training, especially for procedure steps in the space-limited field. Simulation training of procedural skills with smart glasses in 5-year medical students may be adjusted to improve their satisfaction.