This study evaluated whether regular mobile video game play could improve laparoscopic simulation performance among medical students without prior surgical or simulation experience. Thirty first-, second-, and third-year medical students were randomly assigned to either a mobile gaming intervention group or a control group. All participants received standardized training using the Simbionix LAP Mentorâ„¢ laparoscopic simulator and completed baseline assessments of hand-eye coordination, suture placement, and bimanual maneuver tasks. During the subsequent three-week intervention period, participants in the intervention group played selected mobile games (DATA WINGâ„¢ and Aim Lab Mobileâ„¢) for at least 30 minutes daily, while the control group was instructed not to play mobile games. After the intervention, all participants repeated the same laparoscopic simulation tasks. The primary objective was to determine whether mobile gaming improved laparoscopic performance, as measured by task completion time and performance accuracy. The findings of this study may help clarify whether inexpensive and widely accessible mobile games can serve as an adjunct to simulation-based surgical education for novice medical students.
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
No masking was used. Participants and investigators were aware of group assignments because the intervention consisted of daily mobile video game use, which could not be concealed.
Participants were instructed to play the selected mobile video games (DATA WINGâ„¢ and Aim Lab Mobileâ„¢) for at least 30 minutes daily over a 3-week period. Laparoscopic simulation performance was assessed before and after the intervention using the Simbionix LAP Mentorâ„¢ simulator.
Participants did not receive the mobile gaming intervention during the 3-week study period and completed the same baseline and post-intervention laparoscopic simulation assessments as the intervention group.
Istanbul, Istanbul 34854, Turkey (Türkiye)
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