Development and validation of anesthetic simulators for use in medical skills teaching

Abstract

Objective: To validate two models simulating human anatomy designed for training in trunk anesthesia of hands and feet, using a Likert scale. Methods: This is a descriptive study, approved by a Research Ethics Committee, employing a non-interventional data analysis method. Two low-cost simulators were manufactured to accurately replicate anatomical structures. The first simulator, for hand nerve blocks, underwent 12 phases of improvement, while the second, for foot nerve blocks, went through 8 phases. Ten anesthesiologists, with experience ranging from 2 months to 15 years as residency program instructors, evaluated both simulators using a previously validated Likert scale, aiming to assess nine areas related to the models. Results: According to the instructors' analysis, the hand simulator achieved an excellent score (86.7% approval), similar to the foot anesthesia simulator (91.1%). Conclusion: Both simulators were positively evaluated as teaching tools, and the model worked as expected, allowing visualization of the importance of needle angulation during application, as well as the adequacy of depth and anatomical references of the models.