PhD Defense of Gaëlle Fiard from CAMI team on december the 3rd at 2:00 pm:

« Simulation-based training for prostate biopsies: towards the validation of the Biopsym simulator »

Place : Salle des Thèses (109), Bâtiment Boucherle, Domaine de la Merci, La Tronche

Jury and thesis supervisor:

• Mme Jocelyne TROCCAZ, Directrice de Recherche CNRS, Laboratoire TIMC-IMAG, Director
• Mr Jean-Luc DESCOTES, Professeur des Universités - Praticien Hospitalier, Université Grenoble Alpes, CHU de Grenoble, Codirector
• Mme Maud MARCHAL, Maître de Conférences, HDR, INSA de Rennes, IRISA, Reporter
• Mr Jacques HUBERT, Professeur des Universités - Praticien Hospitalier, Université de Lorraine, INSERM, CHU de Nancy, Reporter
• Mr Olivier PALOMBI, Professeur des Universités - Praticien Hospitalier, Université Grenoble Alpes, INRIA, CHU de Grenoble, Examiner
• Mme Florence ZARA, Maître de Conférences, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Laboratoire LIRIS, Examiner
• Mr Arnauld VILLERS, Professeur des Universités - Praticien Hospitalier, Université de Lille 2, INSERM, CHRU de Lille, Examiner
• Mr Emmanuel PROMAYON, Professeur, Université Grenoble Alpes, Laboratoire TIMC-IMAG, Examiner
   

Abstract :

Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy and the 3rd cause of death among men in France. It is a major public health problem with around 50 000 new cases diagnosed each year. The diagnosis is suspected based on an abnormal digital rectal examination or an increase in the prostatic specific antigen level (PSA). Systematic, randomized, ultrasound-guided prostate biopsies are currently recommended first-line to confirm the diagnosis and define the tumor location, volume, and aggressiveness using the Gleason grading system. The conventional training method, based on mentoring, without quantitative feedback on the distribution of the biopsies, has limitations which can partly explain the lack of precision offered by systematic prostate biopsies.

The Biopsym simulator was designed in this context to enhance prostate biopsy teaching through 7 exercises and a module replicating the performance of a 12-core systematic biopsy scheme. Several levels of assistance can be offered and a performance feedback is provided. A first validation study allowed to validate face, content and reliability of the simulator, but failed to prove its ability to discriminate between experts and novices (construct validity), in part due to a lack of realism. Two new validation studies on the new version of the simulator were set up during this thesis. The first one allowed for validation of the construct. The second one was able to demonstrate the transfer of skills acquired on the simulator under real-life conditions.

 

Keywords : 

prostate ; biopsy ; simulation ; surgery ; computer-assisted teaching