The Neurosurgical Simulation (神经外科模拟) and Artificial Intelligence Learning Centre hired 70 medical students to perform virtual brain tumor removals.
Researchers randomly assigned students to receive instruction and feedback by either an AI tutor or a remote expert instructor, with a third control group receiving no instruction. An AI-powered tutor called the Virtual Operative Assistant (VOA) used a machine learning algorithm to teach safe and efficient surgical technique and provided personalized feedback, while a deep learning system and a team of experts assessed student performance. In the other group, remote instructors watched a live feed of the surgical simulations and provided feedback based on the student's performance.
The researchers found that students who received VOA instruction and feedback learned surgical skills 2.6 times faster and achieved 36% better performance compared to those who received instruction and feedback from remote instructors. Surgical skill plays an important role in patient outcomes both during and after brain surgery. VOA may be an effective way to increase neurosurgeon performance, improving patient safety while reducing the burden on human instructors. "Artificially intelligent tutors like the VOA may become a valuable tool in the training of the next generation of neurosurgeons," says Rolando Del Maestro, senior author of the study in JAMA Network Open. "The VOA significantly improved expertise while fostering an excellent learning environment. Ongoing studies are assessing how in-person instructors and AI-powered intelligent tutors can most effectively be used together to improve the mastery of neurosurgical skills."
"Intelligent tutoring systems can use a variety of simulation platforms to provide almost unlimited chances for repetitive practice without the constraints imposed by the availability of supervision," says Ali Fazlollahi, the study's first author. "With continued research, increased development, and dissemination (宣传) of intelligent tutoring systems, we can be better prepared for ever-evolving future challenges."