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Surgery students spend so much time swiping on flat, two-dimensional screens that they are losing the ability to perform simple tasks necessary to conduct life-saving operations, such as stitching and sewing up patients. As a result, students have become less competent and confident in using their hands—leading to very high exam grades despite a lack of tactile knowledge.
Roger Kneebone, professor of surgical education at Imperial College, London, argues that two-dimensional flat screen activity is substituting for the direct experience of handling materials and developing physical skills. Such skills might once have been gained at school or at home, by cutting textiles, measuring ingredients, repairing something that’s broken, learning woodwork, or holding an instrument.
Kneebone now notices that medical students and trainee surgeons are not comfortable cutting or tying string because they don’t have practical experience developing and using these skills. He also mentioned that colleagues in various branches of medicine have made the same observation.
See also this BBC news item: Surgery Students ‘Losing Dexterity to Stitch Patients’.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Wednesday March 27 2019, @04:37PM (1 child)
While that was the doctors "feeling", it appears his data only supported the claim that there is a an improvement in results, not that those results come from an improvement in dexterity. It could just as easily be from the practice at maintaining good situational awareness or making good snap decisions.
It also seems he's specifically looking at laparoscopic surgery - which is about as close to a video game as you get in medical profession - generally awkward controls and a small 2D view of what you're doing.
(Score: 1) by nitehawk214 on Thursday March 28 2019, @12:01AM
Well, my comment was mostly in jest to show that you can make studies like this fit whatever conclusion you want. P-hacking at its finest.
The study was 15 years ago, I suspect the techniques for something as technical as laparoscopy have changed since then. And, honestly, either way I think the results are probably limited test case bullshit.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh