Meditation Using a Mobile App Improves Surgery Trainee Performance: A Simulation-Based Randomized Controlled Trial.
Wei Li, Xiangqing Meng, Kai-Jun Zhang, Zhouwen Yang, Zhuoxi Feng, Kuang Tong, Jing Tian
Arthroscopy : the journal of arthroscopic & related surgery : official publication of the Arthroscopy Association of North America and the International Arthroscopy Association May 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.arthro.2022.09.008 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 43 |
| Population | Orthopaedic residents with no previous experience in arthroscopy or meditation |
| Intervention | App-based mindfulness meditation |
| Dose | 10 min/day for 10 consecutive days; additional 10 minutes before posttest in group A |
| Duration | 10-day intervention, posttest on day 11 |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | A 10-minute app-based meditation immediately before simulator testing improved arthroscopy performance (total score mean difference 3.57; less completion time, camera and grasper path length, and cartilage injury) compared with 10 days of meditation alone, and 10 days of app-based meditation reduced short-term skills deterioration compared with no meditation. |
Abstract
To primarily investigate: (1) whether a 10-minute instant meditation practice using a mobile app could enhance arthroscopy performance and (2) whether a 10-day app-based meditation could reduce short-term arthroscopic skills deterioration. Orthopaedic residents with no previous experience in arthroscopy and meditation were randomly assigned to groups A, B, and C. After initial standard competency-based arthroscopy training on the simulator on day 1, a pretest was performed via the simulator by all participants to assess their initial level of performance, then groups A and B were required to practice app-based mindfulness meditation 10 min/day for 10 consecutive days while group C did nothing. On day 11, all participants returned to perform a posttest. Before the posttest, the participants in group A practiced app-based meditation (10 minutes), whereas groups B and C had no intervention. In total, 43 participants were included and reached similar level of performance after initial training phase in day 1. On day 11, participants in group A had statistically a better instant arthroscopy performance than group B, with greater total score (mean difference [MD] 3.57; P < .001), less completion time (MD -42.89 seconds; P = .001), shorter camera (MD -23.38 cm; P < .001) and grasper (MD -15.23 cm; P = .002) path length, and less cartilage injury (MD -1.07%; P = .012). Participants in group B had less skills deterioration than group C, with better total score (MD -5.42; P < .001), less completion time (MD 51.96s; P = .002), camera path length (MD 28.41 cm; P = .007), and cartilage injury (MD 1.19%; P = .038). Meditation training using a mobile app enhanced instant simulation-based arthroscopy performance and reduced short-term skills deterioration of orthopaedic residents with no arthroscopy hands-on experience. A meditation using mobile app for clinicians and educators should be incorporated into simulation-based arthroscopy curriculums and perhaps clinical settings to improve arthroscopy performance and mental health of orthopaedic residents without any previous arthroscopy experience.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Effect of Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Psychological Outcomes in Surgeons: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. World journal of surgery May 1, 2025
- Brief mindfulness intervention prior to simulated central venous access device insertion: A pilot randomised feasibility study. Critical Care and Resuscitation July 9, 2026
- Editorial Commentary: Meditation Results From Mindfulness and Results in Improved Surgical Performance: 10 Minutes per Day, the Apps Are Free, Why Not Try? Arthroscopy : the journal of arthroscopic & related surgery : official publication of the Arthroscopy Association of North America and the International Arthroscopy Association May 1, 2023
Cites 11
- Mindfulness Meditation and Psychopathology Annual Review of Clinical Psychology December 11, 2018
- Feasibility of Formal Mindfulness-Based Stress-Resilience Training Among Surgery Interns JAMA Surgery August 30, 2018
- Efficacy and Moderation of Mobile App–Based Programs for Mindfulness-Based Training, Self-Compassion Training, and Cognitive Behavioral Psychoeducation on Mental Health: Randomized Controlled Noninferiority Trial JMIR Mental Health July 29, 2018
- Revalidation of the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale — Revised (CAMS-R) With Its Newly Developed Chinese Version (Ch-CAMS-R) Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology October 5, 2015
- Quality and Safety in Health Care, Part XLVI Clinical Nuclear Medicine September 29, 2018
and 6 more in the library