Good practices in simulation-based education in ophthalmology. A thematic series. An initiative of the Simulation Subcommittee of the Ophthalmology Foundation Part III: Curriculum development for simulation based education in ophthalmology training programs

Abstract

Surgical training using the apprenticeship model of “see one, do one, teach one” originated with Halsted in the 19th century and has continued forward. However, it may not be the most optimal and effective way to train clinicians. Simulation-based training emerged in recent decades and follows a stepwise approach starting with basic skills training, moving on to procedural training culminating in team training in an authentic environment. Simulation is used for specific and specialized skills training, deliberate practice, mastery of learning, and rapid knowledge acquisition, creating a structured teaching and learning framework. Simulation-based education programs must be embedded into a curriculum and should not be an optional add-on. Several curriculum design models exist. In this review, the five-phase ADDIE approach was used to inform a prototype curriculum. ADDIE is the acronym for analyze, design, develop, implement, and evaluate. It is used for systematic instructional design where knowledge and performance gaps have been identified and where every step in the design is dictated by the learning outcomes. The ADDIE model is an iterative instructional design where the results of the formative evaluation of each phase may lead to any of the previous phases. The process validates the procedures and products related to the development of learner-centered learning encounters and adds credibility by analyzing and evaluating procedures and interrelatedness. Sufficient evidence that simulation training improves individual and team performance is available. It has a positive effect on self-confidence, knowledge, and operational performance. Further evidence proves that deliberate practice, procedural simulation, and debriefing can be transferred to operational performance in clinical settings and could result in safer and more efficient care for patients, health-care providers, and health systems.

Keywords

• curriculum design
• ophthalmology training programs
• simulation
• simulation-based curriculum