Contemporary training methods in regional anaesthesia: fundamentals and innovations

Over the past two decades, regional anaesthesia and medical education as a whole have undergone a renaissance. Significant changes in our teaching methods and clinical practice have been influenced by improvements in our theoretical understanding as well as by technological innovations. More recently, there has been a focus on using foundational education principles to teach regional anaesthesia, and the evidence on how to best teach and assess trainees is growing. This narrative review will discuss fundamentals and innovations in regional anaesthesia training. We present the fundamentals in regional anaesthesia training, specifically the current state of simulation-based education, deliberate practice and curriculum design based on competency-based progression. Moving into the future, we present the latest innovations in web-based learning, emerging technologies for teaching and assessment and new developments in alternate reality learning systems.

Automated summary

Regional anesthesia and medical education have undergone a renaissance in the past two decades, with changes in teaching and clinical practice influenced by theoretical understanding and technological innovations. There is now a focus on using foundational education principles to teach regional anesthesia, with growing evidence on how to best teach and assess trainees. New innovations in web-based learning, emerging technologies for teaching and assessment, and developments in alternate reality learning systems are shaping the future of regional anesthesia training.