How video games can help virtually train surgeons

Video games and virtual training can help surgeons learn to perform more efficiently, All Things D reports.

The publication spoke with Dr. Andy Wright, a surgeon and University of Washington faculty member; Wright works as a member of the Institute for Simulation and Interprofessional Studies, a healthcare education program. Wright said that gaming has been "instrumental" to his profession as a laparoscopy specialist, and that it could help train others.

"This is an area where I haven't seen any research on the application of video games in that context, but the skills are the same," Wright told All Things D. "We teach judgment, team management, communication skills, conflict resolution and error disclosure in the sim lab. You could easily see training those in a virtual environment or through gaming."

Other training programs can help students gain feedback through simulators and prepare for unlikely circumstances. For more on the subject, check out All Things D's full report.