Designing and Applying an Artificial Intelligence Assistant for Preparing Patient, Equipment and Tools for Abdominal Surgery and Its Impact on Learning of Operating Room Technology Students

Abstract

Background and Aim: The operating room is a high-pressure learning environment in which students of operating room technology must acquire mastery over a vast volume of knowledge and information. Traditional educational methods are often inefficient in providing the necessary support that is appropriate to the conditions for effective learning. Artificial intelligence offers a promising pathway for enhancing education; however, its application in operating room technology education has not yet been investigated. This study was conducted with the aim of Designing and Applying of Artificial Intelligence Assistant Preparation Patient, Equipment and Tools for Abdominal Surgery and its Impact on Learning of Operating Room Technology Students.

Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental single-group study with a pretest–posttest design was conducted using a census sampling method among 27 Operating Room Technology students at Iran University of Medical Sciences during the 2024–2025 academic year. The intervention involved the use of an artificial intelligence assistant designed for patient preparation, equipment, and tools in abdominal surgery, which was made available to students for one month. Students’ learning was assessed before the intervention and two weeks after its completion using a researcher-developed 24-item questionnaire with confirmed validity and reliability. Data were analyzed using SPSS, and differences between pretest and posttest scores were examined using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05.

Results: The mean learning score increased from 12.96±2.62 in the pretest to 14.96±3.09 in the posttest, indicating improved learning performance following the intervention. The Shapiro–Wilk test showed that the data were not normally distributed (P=0.011); therefore, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for analysis. A statistically significant improvement in learning scores was observed after the intervention (Z=−2.576, P=0.010). These findings indicate that the RAG-based artificial intelligence assistant effectively enhanced Operating Room Technology students’ learning regarding patient preparation, equipment, and instruments for abdominal surgery.

Conclusion: The significant improvement in learning scores observed following the use of the artificial intelligence assistant suggests that it may have potential as a supplementary educational tool to support the learning of Operating Room Technology students. However, given the small sample size and the single-group pretest–posttest design, the findings should be interpreted cautiously, and causal inferences and generalizability are limited. Further studies with larger sample sizes, control groups, and longer follow-up periods are needed to provide more robust evidence regarding the educational effectiveness and value of this assistant.