Adjusting Training Task Difficulty to Enhance Skill Transfer in Venipuncture: Evidence from Video Analysis

Introduction: We examine the impact of modifying the difficulty level of venipuncture at different training stages on the enhancement of skill transfer. Methods: Medical students were recruited and assigned into either a control or an experimental group, both underwent 4 days of training. The control group practices venipuncture tasks under quiet and consistent environment. The experimental group were given pressures by the standardized patients or exposure to noise environment in the late training stages. The performance was videotaped. All trainees were assessed one day (Test 1) and one week (Test 2) post-training for skill transfer. Results: At Test 1, the experimental group showed significantly shorter puncture time (P = 0.042) and a near-significant trend for skin disinfection time (P = 0.055), while total task time did not differ significantly. At Test 2, the experimental group demonstrated significantly shorter total task time (P = 0.039), skin disinfection time (P = 0.023), puncture time (P = 0.035), and tourniquet banding time (P < 0.001). No significant differences were observed in overall performance scores, but doctor‑patient communications showed significant differences between groups at Test 1 (P = 0.000) and within‑group changes in the control group (P = 0.004). Conclusion: Evidence from video analysis suggests that adjusting the difficulty of training can enhance the skill transfer in the venipuncture task, primarily by improving procedural efficiency, which inspires us to explore more effective way to improve the training outcomes.