Time spent playing video games can prove valuable to future bronchoscopists once they reach medical school or residency.

There is a correlation between bronchoscopy technique and video gaming skills among bronchoscopy neophytes, a study out of Japan found.

“Individuals who are accustomed to playing video games may have rapid access to bronchoscopy techniques,” the authors wrote in the study published in Nature.

Although research previously has examined the role of video gaming and other medical procedures, such as laparoscopic surgery, gastrointestinal endoscopy and other surgical techniques, none had examined the relationship to bronchoscopy performance, the authors wrote.

This study was conducted at Fukujuji Hospital in Japan from January 2021 to October 2023. It included 23 participants assigned to the inexperienced group, and 18 assigned to the experienced group. The work analyzed observational time during bronchoscopy, measured using a simulator, and the playing time of “Splatoon 2” from Nintendo.

Bronchoscopic procedures require “skill sets that overlap with those of video games, including visuospatial awareness, rapid decision-making, and psychomotor skills,” the authors wrote, citing research by C. Mallow and others.

The study’s findings “could contribute to refining training strategies and understanding how shared skill sets impact proficiency in performing specific medical procedures,” wrote Dr. Sushama R. Chaphalkar in her analysis of the research in News Medical Life Sciences.

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Related Content: AABIP 2023: When is Bronchoscopy Like Playing a Precision Game?

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