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Artificial intelligence

Artificial Intelligence-Augmented Instruction Improves Surgical Skills

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A team of researchers from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, published a study in the Journal of Surgical Education, demonstrating that artificial intelligence-augmented personalized instruction can improve technical skills and reduce feedback frequency in medical students during simulated neurosurgical training. The study, conducted using the NeuroVR, an immersive virtual reality neurosurgical simulator, involved 88 medical students who were randomized to receive one of three educational interventions: AI tutor instruction, scripted human instruction, or AI-augmented personalized instruction. The results showed that the AI-augmented personalized instruction group received significantly fewer total instructions and demonstrated an improvement in simulated surgical skills.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study involved 88 medical students from four Quebec universities who participated in a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of AI-augmented personalized instruction on feedback frequency and surgical performance.
  • The AI-augmented personalized instruction group received significantly fewer total instructions compared to the other two groups (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.50 [95% CI, 1.16-1.94] instructions; p < 0.01).
  • The study demonstrated an improvement in simulated surgical skills among the AI-augmented personalized instruction group.
  • The researchers concluded that AI-augmented personalized instruction resulted in less frequent feedback, indicating fewer errors in trainee performance.
  • The study was conducted using the NeuroVR, an immersive virtual reality neurosurgical simulator.

Statistics:

  • 88 medical students participated in the study, with 87 included in the final analysis.
  • The AI-augmented personalized instruction group received 1.50 times fewer total instructions compared to the other two groups (95% CI, 1.16-1.94).
  • The study demonstrated an improvement in simulated surgical skills among the AI-augmented personalized instruction group.

Sources:

  • Effect of Artificial Intelligence-Augmented Human Instruction on Feedback Frequency and Surgical Performance During Simulation Training. Journal of Surgical Education, 2025;82(11):103743.
  • McGill University, Neurosurgical Simulation and Artificial Intelligence Learning Centre, Dept. of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
  • Elsevier Science Inc, Ste 800, 230 Park Ave, New York, NY 10169, USA. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Journal of Surgical Education - www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-surgical-education/)

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