Pilot Study Evaluating the Impact of Otology Surgery Videos on Otolaryngology Resident Education

Objectives: Use of videos as educational tools is not a novel concept; however, there is a paucity of high-quality video resources available to otolaryngology trainees. We hypothesized that residents would deem surgical-videos using a multimedia-style format more valuable as preparatory tools. Aims of this study: 1) develop portfolio of otology/neurotology videos overviewing key steps, anatomy, and pearls by a senior surgeon; 2) have residents rate the effectiveness of the videos as a preoperative tool. Study Design: Prospective study. Methods: A video-library of procedures at (https://www.youtube.com/user/cisurgeon) was formatted via time-stamping to coincide expert level narration with closed captioning, critical procedural steps, relevant instrumentation, radiographic pictures, orientation cues, and anatomical highlights. Otolaryngology trainees of postgraduate years 2 through 5 (n=13) watched a minimum of three videos and completed an assessment addressing: current resource identification/usefulness comparison, self-efficacy, impact on preparation time, and prioritization of resources. Results: The videos rated as highly useful compared with current resources (p=0.002) and capable of promoting self-efficacy. Residents reported moderate-high prioritization of our multi-media formatted resource (scores>6) among their current preoperative regimen. Conclusion: The varied videos were rated highly in terms of usefulness, promoting self-efficacy and as a high-priority for a resident's surgical preparation. Multimedia-formatted training videos should be further explored for this generation of electronic-learners. Future studies with a larger cohort, objective approaches, and multidisciplinary involvement are needed to determine the full impact of this education medium on surgical-training.