ADVERTISING, DISTRIBUTION, & SALES

Synthes Inc. (Solothurn, Switzerland), a manufacturer of instruments, implants, and biomaterials for surgical fixation of the human skeleton and its soft tissues, needed a cost-effective way to train both operating room nurses and sales representatives on surgical procedures using its products.

In the case of the operating room personnel, Synthes recognized the need for these staff members to learn the instrumentation and procedural steps in order to ensure surgical cases run quickly and smoothly for surgeons. On the other hand, sales representatives must be knowledgeable in Synthes surgical procedures in order to properly communicate with customers.

Because the training program was to target two highly mobile audiences in fast-paced fields, accessibility of the program was a key concern. To address this challenge, Synthes partnered with Interact Medical (South Bend, IN) to create an interactive 3-D surgical simulation, or virtual surgery. The simulation provides users with the ability to practice the surgical technique on a computer interface, allowing them to make mistakes in cyberspace rather than in the operating room.

The simulation highlights different types of anatomy and points out the areas in which Synthes products are used. In addition, Interact developed tests for the simulation program that measure the users' understanding of the course. By using this virtual format, Synthes has been able to provide just-in-time training to operating room personnel and Synthes sales representatives on a global scale.

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