A framework-based approach to designing simulation-augmented surgical education and training programs

The goal of simulation-based medical education and training is to help trainees acquire and refine the technical and cognitive skills necessary to perform clinical procedures. When designers incorporate simulation into programs, their efforts should be in line with training needs, rather than technology. Designers of simulation-augmented surgical training programs, however, face particular problems related to identifying a framework that guides the curricular design activity to fulfill the particular requirements of such training programs. These problems include the lack of (1) an objective identification of training needs, (2) a systematic design methodology to match training objectives with simulation resources, (3) structured assessments of performance, and (4) a research-centered view to evaluate and validate systematically the educational effectiveness of the program. In this report, we present a process called “Aim – FineTune – FollowThrough” to enable the connection of the identified problems to solutions, using frameworks from psychology, motor learning, education and experimental design.