Development and Implementation of an Educational Simulation Workshop in Fiberoptic Laryngoscopy for Radiation Oncology Residents.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: Fiberoptic laryngoscopy (FOL) is a critical tool for the diagnosis, staging, assessment of treatment response, and detection of recurrence for head and neck (H&N) malignancies. No standardized recommendations exist for procedural FOL education in radiation oncology. We therefore implemented a pilot simulation workshop to train radiation oncology residents in pertinent H&N anatomy and FOL technique. MATERIALS/METHODS: A two-phase workshop and simulation session was designed. Residents initially received a lecture on H&N anatomy and the logistics of the FOL exam. Subsequently, residents had a practical session in which they performed FOL in two simulated environments: a computerized FOL program and a mannequin-based practice. Site-specific attending physicians were present to provide real-time guidance and education. Pre- and post-workshop surveys were administered to the participants to determine the impact of the workshop. Subsequently, postgraduate year (PGY)-2 residents were required to complete six supervised FOL exams in clinic and were provided immediate feedback. RESULTS: Annual workshops were performed in 2017-2019. The survey completion rate was 14/18 (78%). Participants ranged from fourth year medical students (MS-4) to PGY2-PGY-5 residents. All PGY-2 residents completed their 6 supervised FOL exams. On a 5-point Likert scale, mean H&N anatomy knowledge increased from 2.4 to 3.7 (standard deviation=0.6, p<0.0001). Similarly, mean FOL procedural skill confidence increased from 2.2 to 3.3 (standard deviation=0.7, p<0.0001). These effects were limited to novice (MS4-PGY2) participants. 100% of participants found the exercise clinically informative. CONCLUSION: A simulation-based workshop for teaching FOL procedural skills increased confidence and procedural expertise of new radiation oncology residents and translated directly to supervised clinical encounters. Adoption of this type of program may help to improve resident training in H&N cancer.