FundamentalVR, specialists in immersive HapticVR™ training technology, which combines virtual reality (VR) with haptics (sense of touch), has recently announced that its educational platform, Fundamental Surgery, received Continuing Professional Development (CPD) accreditation for its entire current portfolio of surgical training simulations by the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
Earlier this year, Fundamental Surgery became the first surgical simulation with HapticVR to receive 6 CPD points for its Total Hip Replacement (Posterior Approach) training simulation. Now, the platform’s additional simulations are also accredited, which means that each simulation is now confirmed as an activity that demonstrates sufficient educational value to contribute to individual surgeons’ CPD, for which 6 CPD points can be claimed.
CPD is set by General Medical Council (GMC) as activity outside of postgraduate training that demonstrates surgeons are continuing to improve and practice their skills and performance. The Royal College of Surgeons of England accredits activities ranging from educational days and conferences that are in line with the GMC’s guidelines and the number of points each activity counts towards each trainee’s annual CPD points.
To maintain professional standards, surgeons must accrue 50 CPD points a year (250 over a five-year revalidation cycle). With this accreditation, Fundamental Surgery’s simulations are confirmed as activities that demonstrates sufficient educational value to contribute to the CPD for which 6 CPD points can be claimed.
The Fundamental Surgery platform combines VR with cutting-edge haptics to create a scalable ‘flight simulator’ experience for trainees and qualified surgeons, allowing them to experience and navigate the same visuals, sounds and feelings they would during a real surgical procedure.
“Our mission has always been to provide surgeons and trainees with a solution that they could use to train and maintain their skills anywhere, providing them with the visuals, feelings and sounds they would expect during real surgery,” said Richard Vincent, CEO and Founder of FundamentalVR. “Receiving accreditation for all of our current simulation offerings by the Royal College of Surgeons of England validates our efforts. We are looking forward to creating and releasing additional simulations in multiple practice areas to help as many surgeons as possible hone their skills.”
The platform currently supports a range of orthopaedic procedures, which are confirmed as an activity that demonstrates sufficient educational value to contribute to individual surgeons’ CPD, for which 6 CPD points can be claimed. The simulations include: Spinal Pedicle Screw, Total Hip Arthroplasty (Posterior), Total Hip Arthroplasty (Anterior) and Total Knee Arthroplasty.
