Researchers Announce New Curriculum Sharing For Surgeons

CHICAGO, Oct. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A first of its kind program for surgeons has been developed by a team of researchers at the University of Southern California and Mimic Technologies that will help identify which training programs are working for robotic surgery. The new technology, called MShare, provides a forum for surgeons and hospital administrators, worldwide, to communicate and share curricula that have been validated by new research.  The new system will be unveiled at the American College of Surgeons conference on September 30.

Prior to the introduction of MShare, hospital administrators and surgeons lacked a forum on which to collaborate and/or share simulation training curricula on the dVTrainer, the training hardware for the da Vinci robot, the most extensively used robot in surgery centers.

"We use simulation in all the classes we teach," says Arnold Advincula, M.D. director of the surgical program at the Nicholson Center for Surgical Advancement. "We will now make our curriculum available on Mimic's MShare portal in order to help set the standards for surgeons everywhere."

Mimic Technologies, the simulation company that built the da Vinci simulation platform, is developing MShare, which will allow surgeons to share curricula they have validated, as well as distribute what has been effective for training within their departments or surgical disciplines.  Surgeons will choose and post new training programs from high-demand categories.  MShare also offers a public space for surgeons to journal their experience — notes that can prove valuable for the development of future training programs.

"This new technology is important for the development of surgical training programs across the country," says Inderbir S. Gill, M.D., M.Ch.,chairman & professor, Catherine and Joseph Aresty Department of Urology, Keck School of Medicine of USC. "Surgeons need a place to share information, to collaborate and to post needed information, especially with such a multifaceted field as robotic surgery."

Surgeons report the needed categories of specialized training as surgical warm-up, skills retention, privileging and credentialing, and competitions.  Once accepted, surgeons and administrator nationwide will be able to log in, post their curricula, and allow them to be rated by others.  Users will be able to see clearly how and to what degree the training is working.

"We developed this technology because every training institution has good ideas and those good ideas should be shared—learning depends on it," says Jeff Berkley, Founder and CEO of Mimic Technologies. "The goal is to enable a collaborative community of educators who will share their experience and promote a greater understanding of surgery simulation training."

By September 30, 2012, the site will be fully developed, administrators and surgeons will be able to register and begin posting.  MShare will be free to use and will be available for all dVTrainer (da Vinci) users.  Along with content sharing, this online resource will encourage discussion and debate, as top surgeons share what works and what might require a different training approach.

"Surgeons want to be able to collaborate across the country," says Pier Cristoforo Giulianotti, M.D. and division chief of thoracic and vascular surgery, University of Chicago.  "They want to be able to see what is working in Madison or San Francisco, or in Paris for that matter."

Mimic Technologies, headquartered in Seattle, was founded in 2001 to provide leadership in robotic surgery simulation and training. Together with leading institutions, Mimic continues to develop next generation learning tools and curricula that aim to advance robotic surgery training and improve patient safety. Mimic's mission is to set the standard for simulation and training in medical robotics by continuing to provide needed software, and market leading haptic interfaces. Visit Mimic Technologies at www.MimicSimulation.com.

SOURCE Mimic Technologies