Mixed-reality simulators to improve training for the examination of premature babies in Poland

University Clinical Hospital, Poland, is the first in the world to benefit from four Eyesi Indirect ROP Simulators, which will be used to train ophthalmologists in Warsaw, Kraków, Katowice, and Poznań.

Every year, the University Clinical Hospital, Poznań, Poland, screens over 1,000 tiny babies for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). The disease, which impacts the blood cells in the retina, is treatable – however, the patient must first be correctly diagnosed through an eye examination.

The challenge

The ROP screening exam is a long-held source of stress for trainee ophthalmologists. The exam requires a steady, precise hand, and should be carried out swiftly in order to reduce stress on the infant. However, until now, trainees have had no option but to practise directly on the patient, under the eye of the examiner.

Anna Gotz-Więckowska, Head of the Ocular Diseases Laboratory of the Ophthalmology Clinic, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, explains the challenge:

“Initially, the examiner would observe my examination, and later they would start examining on their own. If they had any doubts, I would repeat [...] As a result, the examination itself took a long time […] this was not very comfortable for either party."

The customer

The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (GOCC), also known as the Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy (WOŚP) in Polish, is a remarkable public benefit organization in Poland. Founded in 1993 by Jurek Owsiak, the foundation works tirelessly to enhance health services. It was WOŚP who recognized the training need at the University Clinical Hospital, and who partnered with simulation equipment supplier ABJ Vision to find a solution.

The simulator

Haag-Streit had already recognized the challenge, and during this time, was in the final development stages of a solution: the Eyesi Indirect ROP Simulator (Eyesi Indirect ROP).

 A fruitful collaboration between Haag-Streit and ABJ Vision resulted in a visit to the Haag-Streit Simulation HQ in Mannheim, Germany. During his visit, Piotr Ryś, ABJ Vision, was able to see the Eyesi ROP Simulator in action.

Piotr Siedlecki, ABJ Vision, explains how it works:

"Behind this equipment is primarily specialized software that allows the trainee doctor to sit at the simulator and learn how to perform an eye examination in premature babies efficiently and without stress.”

(Source: miastopoznaj.pl)

Knowing it was the perfect fit for the Hospital’s training needs, ABJ Vision presented the solution to GOCC, who approved the purchase. As a result, four simulators were installed in the hospital’s branches in Warsaw, Kraków, Katowice, and Poznań.

A safe space for ROP training

Thanks to the ROP simulator, trainees can now sit confidently at a simulator and learn the required skills without causing any stress to patients. The simulator enacts every relevant aspect of the real examination scenario.

Moreover, there is more to the Eyesi Indirect ROP than a platform for practical examinations – the simulator comes with an embedded curriculum featuring virtual patients with different stages of retinopathy, including aggressive ROP, plus disease and retinal detachment, thereby ensuring that each resident has been trained on the same range of pathologies.

Assessment

A robust feedback and evaluation loop means that trainees can work through the required courseware, learn how they have performed, and systematically improve their skills. Having this information to hand in an intuitive online portal makes monitoring the progress of each class a straightforward activity, rather than an administrative chore.

Only when the educator is happy that the student has reached the required skill level – after passing the theoretical tests – will they be able to graduate to real-life examinations.

Prof. Jarosław Kocięcki, Head of the Ophthalmology Clinic, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, comments on the investment of the simulator:

 “We feel honored. I think that this equipment, whose acquisition is for us a great success, will contribute not only to better diagnosis, but also to better treatment of these, from my point of view, most challenging patients.”

Impact

The feedback from the University Clinical Hospital has been overwhelmingly positive. Moreover, the good news has spread fast, with coverage on Polish mainstream TV channels, as well as in the national press.

News of the Eyesi Indirect ROP reached national news channels. Click this link to watch the story as it appeared on Polish TV .

Prof. Anna Gotz-Więckowska, head of the Laboratory of Premature Infant Eye Diseases at the University Clinical Hospital, summarises it perfectly:

"This is a huge progress in terms of training opportunities for young doctors…Thanks to the simulator, we skip the stage that patients are afraid of, and which we all have to remember – that doctors learn from us.”

(Source: miastopoznaj.pl)

We hope that you have been inspired by this amazing story. Learn more about the features and benefits of the Eyesi Indirect ROP.