Study: Playing Video Games Could Reduce NC Medical Mistakes

Is your surgeon playing video games when he or she isn’t in the operating room? A recent study says that it may be worth knowing – and that it may help doctors cut down on medical mistakes, surgical errors, and medical malpractice lawsuits.

Increasing surgeon hand-eye coordination

According to researchers, surgeons who spent at least three hours playing video games per week were significantly better and faster at performing laparoscopic surgery – an operation that uses a small camera and a joystick to complete minimally invasive procedures. The extra hand-eye coordination practice that physicians get from playing video games results in a 37 percent decrease in medical mistakes and a 27 percent increase in surgery speed.

The study was conducted on 33 doctors and residents over a four-month period. Researchers believe that the results of the study prove that video games can help doctors develop a better sense of time and sensitivity of touch – two skills that can help them manipulate the devices used in laparoscopic surgery.

Some hospitals are considering programs in which these surgeons play video games directly before an operation in order to warm up their hand-eye coordination before entering a real-life situation.

North Carolina medical malpractice attorney

Have you suffered harm due to a laparoscopic surgical mistake or an error during an operation? Speak with a NC medical mistake attorney at Brent Adams & Associates today.