хірургія, хирургия, surgery ; віртуальна реальність, виртуальная реальность, virtual environments ; аналіз, анализ, analysis

The increasing use of virtual reality (VR) simulators in surgical training makes it imperative that definitive studies be performed to assess their training effectiveness. Indeed, in this paper we report the meta-analysis of the efficacy of virtual reality simulators in: 1) the transference of skills from the simulator training environment to the operating room, and 2) their ability to discriminate between the experience levels of their users. The task completion time and the error score were the two study outcomes collated and analyzed in this meta-analysis. Sixteen studies were identified from a computer-based literature search (1996–2004). The meta-analysis of the random effects model (because of the heterogeneity of the data) revealed that training on virtual reality simulators did lessen the time taken to complete a given surgical task as well as clearly differentiate between the experienced and the novice trainees.Meta-analytic studies such as the one reported herewould be very helpful in the

• http://libsearch.kture/ftplib/DM/Information_Technology_Biomed/2006_10_1/01573706.pdf

IEEE Transactions on Information Technology in Biomedicine [Электронный ресурс] [Текст]. — USA, 2006. — 1.