Study 3: The influence of the pretest effect on posttest scores in a bronchoscopy simulation setting

<B>Short description of the study</B><BR><BR>

The study setup involved a pretest session where participants underwent a brief introduction to bronchoscopy and simulator equipment handling. This was followed by a pretest consisting of two tasks on a flexible bronchoscopy simulator: non-anatomical (basic scope manipulation) and anatomical (lung anatomy and bronchial segments). A short break was scheduled between the tasks to prevent muscle fatigue, during which participants received basic background anatomy information. Following the pretest, a break of 4-6 hours was scheduled before the posttest session, where participants repeated the two simulator tasks.<BR><BR>

In the non-anatomical environment task, participants navigated the bronchoscope tip through a digital maze following a blue ball. In the anatomical environment task, participants navigated to and entered airway segments sequentially. <BR><BR>

Outcome measures included navigational skill scores between the two tests, assessed through simulator metrics for the non-anatomical task and procedure time, number of correctly entered segments, and overall scores on a bronchoscopy assessment tool for the anatomical task.<BR><BR>

Instruments used: simulator metrics obtained from the “Essential Bronchoscopy” module of the GI-BRONCH Mentor flexible bronchoscopy simulator (Surgical Science, Sweden) were used as outcome measures for the non-anatomical environment task. A basic bronchoscopy assessment tool was employed (see Supplemental Digital Content 3 of the study) for assessment of the anatomical environment task. <BR><BR>

<B>Short description of the data file</B><BR><BR>

The “240312 full dataset prepost study.sav” file contains the whole dataset, with participant age, sex and all outcome measures. <BR><BR>

Overview of parameters in the .sav file:<BR>
Age: age in years<BR>
Sex: 0 = male, 1 = female<BR><BR>

Non-anatomical environment task variables:<BR>
Lumen_pre & lumen_post: % of time at mid-lumen in the pretest and posttest<BR>
N_wall_pre & N_wall_post: the number of wall contacts in the pretest and posttest<BR>
Time_task1_pre & Time_task1_post: pretest and posttest total time<BR>
Scope_wall_pre & Scope_wall_post: % of time with scope-wall contact in the pretest and posttest<BR>
Wallcontact_min_pre & Wallcontact_min_post: the number of wall contacts per minute in the pretest and posttest<BR><BR>

Anatomical environment task variables. Note: for all assessment tool parameters, higher scores in the .sav file indicate a better performance. For instance: For parameter 1 “Scope introduction” a score of 1 in SPSS means 3 or more tries, a score of 2 in SPSS equals 2 tries, a score of 3 in SPSS equals 1 try. For parameter 6, Hand-wrist movements, a score of 1 in SPSS means “Wrong position of hand and fingers during the procedure with too much tension” and a score of 5 means “Right position of hand and fingers during the procedure with a relaxed posture”.<BR><BR>

Introduction_pre & introduction_post: Assessment tool parameter 1 score in pretest and posttest (scope introduction). Range 1 – 3.<BR>
RL_reach_pre & RL_reach_post: Assessment tool parameter 2 score in pretest and posttest (entered segments in right lung). Range 1 – 3. <BR>
LL_reach_pre & LL_reach_post: Assessment tool parameter 3 score in pretest and posttest (entered segments in left lung). Range 1 – 3. <BR>
Intra_move_pre & Intra_move_post: Assessment tool parameter 4 score in pretest and posttest (intra-bronchial scope movement overall). Range 1 – 5.<BR>
Scope_handl_pre & Scope_handl_post: Assessment tool parameter 5 score in pretest and posttest (scope handling). Range 1 – 5.<BR>
Hand_wrist_pre & Hand_wrist_post: Assessment tool parameter 6 score in pretest and posttest (hand-wrist movements). Range 1 – 5. <BR>
Time_task_3_pre & Time_task_3_post: Assessment tool parameter 7 score in pretest and posttest (procedure time in seconds).<BR>
Overall_pre & Overall_post: overall scores on the assessment tool in the pretest and posttest. Range 1- 5.<BR><BR>

Other parameters of the anatomical environment task (not from assessment tool):<BR>
Missed_segments_R_pre & Missed_segments_R_post: number of missed segments in the right lung in pretest and posttest. Range 0 – 10.<BR>
Missed_segments_L_pre & Missed_segments_L-post: number of missed segments in the left lung in pretest and posttest. Range 0 – 8.<BR><BR>

Log[name variable]: logarithmic transformation of parameters to check for normality of some parameters of which there was a differing normality in the pretest and posttest. <BR><BR>

Correctly_enter_pre & Correctly_enter_post = total number of correctly entered segments in the pretest and posttest. Range 0 – 18.<BR>
Correctly_enter_R_pre & Corretly_enter_R_post = total number of correctly entered segments of the right lung in the pretest and posttest. Range 0 – 10.<BR>
Correctly_enter_L_pre & Correctly_enter_L_post = total number of correctly entered segments of the left lung in the pretest and posttest. Range 0 – 8.<BR><BR>