Development of a lumbar puncture virtual simulator for medical students training: A preliminary evaluation

BackgroundLumbar puncture is an essential medical procedure whose objective is to obtain cerebrospinal fluid. Lumbar puncture is considered a complex procedure, mainly for novice residents who suffer from stress and low confidence, which may result in harm to the patient.MethodsThe LPVirSim, has been developed in four stages: i) requirements analysis through user-centred design; ii) prototyping of the virtual environment and the haptic component; iii) preliminary tests with Ph.D. students and physicians using two haptic devices (Omega.7 and Sigma.7); iv) a user study where physicians evaluated the usability and user experience.ResultsThe LPVirSim integrates non-technical skills and the possibility of representing different patients for training. Usability increased from 61.76 to 68.75 in the preliminary tests to 71.43 in the user study.ConclusionsAll the results showed good usability and demonstrated that the simulator arouses interest and realistically represents a Lumbar puncture, through the force and visual feedback.

Automated summary

The LPVirSim, a virtual simulator for lumbar puncture procedure, has been developed to help novice residents improve their skills and confidence, and prevent harm to patients. The tool integrates non-technical skills and different patient scenarios, and realistically represents the procedure through force and visual feedback.