Communication Preferences in Total Joint Arthroplasty: Exploring the Patient Experience Through Generative Research.

Background: Improving communication and information services for people receiving a total joint (knee or hip) arthroplasty (TJA) depends on the differences in patient communication needs and personal characteristics.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to further examine individual differences in TJA patient preferences regarding communication and information provision.

Methods: Nineteen patients participated in generative research, which meant they actively reflected on their TJA experiences and communication preferences through creative exercises (e.

Mental Health Therapy Protocols and eHealth Design: Focus Group Study.

Background: Electronic health (eHealth) programs are often based on protocols developed for the original face-to-face therapies. However, in practice, therapists and patients may not always follow the original therapy protocols. This form of personalization may also interfere with the intended implementation and effects of eHealth interventions if designers do not take these practices into account.

Validation of Motion Tracking Software for Evaluation of Surgical Performance in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy.

Motion tracking software for assessing laparoscopic surgical proficiency has been proven to be effective in differentiating between expert and novice performances. However, with several indices that can be generated from the software, there is no set threshold that can be used to benchmark performances. The aim of this study was to identify the best possible algorithm that can be used to benchmark expert, intermediate and novice performances for objective evaluation of psychomotor skills.

Breast Cancer Detection: The Development and Pilot Study of a "Tactile Landscape" as a Standardized Testing Tool.

Introduction: There is still a need for competent breast lump detection palpation skills, especially in developing countries. Our goal is to design, develop, and establish a test to determine whether students can, by touch alone, identify and discriminate between a range of different simulated lesions at different adiposity levels.

Methods: Common lesions, breast cancers, and cysts were physically simulated and hidden in a test object referred to as the "tactile landscape" (TL).

A software-based tool for video motion tracking in the surgical skills assessment landscape.

Background: The use of motion tracking has been proved to provide an objective assessment in surgical skills training. Current systems, however, require the use of additional equipment or specialised laparoscopic instruments and cameras to extract the data. The aim of this study was to determine the possibility of using a software-based solution to extract the data.

"Reflection-Before-Practice" Improves Self-Assessment and End-Performance in Laparoscopic Surgical Skills Training.

Objective: To establish whether a systematized approach to self-assessment in a laparoscopic surgical skills course improves accordance between expert- and self-assessment.

Design: A systematic training course in self-assessment using Competency Assessment Tool was introduced into the normal course of evaluation within a Laparoscopic Surgical Skills training course for the test group (n = 30). Differences between these and a control group (n = 30) who did not receive the additional training were assessed.

Setting-related influences on physical inactivity of older adults in residential care settings: a review.

Background: Despite the detrimental effects of physical inactivity for older adults, especially aged residents of residential care settings may spend much time in inactive behavior. This may be partly due to their poorer physical condition; however, there may also be other, setting-related factors that influence the amount of inactivity. The aim of this review was to review setting-related factors (including the social and physical environment) that may contribute to the amount of older adults' physical inactivity in a wide range of residential care settings (e.

Using a contextualized sensemaking model for interaction design: A case study of tumor contouring.

Sensemaking theories help designers understand the cognitive processes of a user when he/she performs a complicated task. This paper introduces a two-step approach of incorporating sensemaking support within the design of health information systems by: (1) modeling the sensemaking process of physicians while performing a task, and (2) identifying software interaction design requirements that support sensemaking based on this model. The two-step approach is presented based on a case study of the tumor contouring clinical task for radiotherapy planning.

Self-assessment in laparoscopic surgical skills training: Is it reliable?

Background: The concept of self-assessment has been widely acclaimed for its role in the professional development cycle and self-regulation. In the field of medical education, self-assessment has been most used to evaluate the cognitive knowledge of students. The complexity of training and evaluation in laparoscopic surgery has previously acted as a barrier in determining the benefits self-assessment has to offer in comparison with other fields of medical education.

Comparative Study of Performance in Ultrasonic Tissue Dissection for Sleeve Gastrectomy: Wired versus Cordless.

Background: The sleeve gastrectomy is being performed increasingly as a primary procedure for the treatment of morbid obesity. A minimally invasive approach is currently applied to the procedure. The two major steps are dissection and stapling.

Quality and comfort in head and neck hyperthermia: A redesign according to clinical experience and simulation studies.

Purpose: Clinical phase III trials have shown the benefit of adding hyperthermia to radiotherapy and chemotherapy for head and neck cancer (H&N). The HYPERcollar, a functional prototype capable of applying hyperthermia to the entire H&N region was developed. Specific absorption rate-based hyperthermia treatment planning (HTP) is used to optimise HYPERcollar treatments.

The effects of observation of walking in a living room environment, on physical, cognitive, and quality of life related outcomes in older adults with dementia: a study protocol of a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The number of older adults with dementia is expected to increase. Dementia is not only characterized by a decline in cognition, also other functions, for example, physical functioning change. A possible means to decrease the decline in these functions, or even improve them, could be increasing the amount of physical activity.

A systematic review--physical activity in dementia: the influence of the nursing home environment.

Most older persons with dementia living in nursing homes spend their days without engaging in much physical activity. This study therefore looked at the influence that the environment has on their level of physical activity, by reviewing empirical studies that measured the effects of environmental stimuli on the physical activity of nursing home residents suffering from dementia. The electronic databases PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library were used for the search.

Face validation of a portable ergonomic laparoscopy skills simulator for single-incision laparoscopic surgery training.

In recent years, many efforts have been made to reduce the trauma of surgical access further by the use of single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS). The Ergo-Lap (ergonomic laparoscopic) simulator was taken to the 20th International Congress of the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery (EAES) in 2012 in Brussels, Belgium. During the congress, the simulator was assessed by 13 general surgeons with different SILS experience using a standardized questionnaire to determine the usability of the Ergo-Lap simulator training for basic SILS skills.

Face, content, and construct validity of a novel portable ergonomic simulator for basic laparoscopic skills.

Objective: Laparoscopic skills can be improved effectively through laparoscopic simulation. The purpose of this study was to verify the face and content validity of a new portable Ergonomic Laparoscopic Skills simulator (Ergo-Lap simulator) and assess the construct validity of the Ergo-Lap simulator in 4 basic skills tasks.

Design: Four tasks were evaluated: 2 different translocation exercises (a basic bimanual exercise and a challenging single-handed exercise), an exercise involving tissue manipulation under tension, and a needle-handling exercise.

Development and clinical implementation of a hemostatic balloon device for rectal cancer surgery.

Background: Surgery for locally advanced and recurrent rectal carcinoma can be associated with major blood loss.

Objective: We developed a promising technique using a hemostatic balloon to stop uncontrollable bleeding.

Design: Models were developed using pelvic magnetic resonance imaging scans, and these models were tested in a cadaveric study.

A newly designed portable ergonomic laparoscopic skills Ergo-Lap simulator.

Objective: The cost of laparoscopic simulators restricts the wide use of simulation for training of basic psychomotor skills. This paper describes the scientifically-based development of an inexpensive and portable Ergonomic Laparoscopic Skills (Ergo-Lap) simulator with multiple tasks.

Material And Methods: The design of this Ergo-Lap simulator and related training task panel was based on scientific research regarding the representative skills and the ergonomic guidelines for laparoscopic surgery.

Differences between attendings' and residents' operative notes for laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Background: Operative notes are the gold standard for detecting adverse events and near misses and form the basis for scientific research. In order to guarantee safe patient care, operative notes must be objective, complete, and accurate. This study explores the current routine of note writing for laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and the differences between the notes of attendings and residents.

Evaluation of a new surgical light source for difficult visibility procedures.

A new lighting device for open surgery of difficult access wounds was designed: the Extender add-on. The performance of the Extender is evaluated and compared with the conventional solutions used in the operating room (OR) on illumination quality. A cylindrical setup was built to measure the distribution of light in a simulated pelvic wound.

Noninvasive assessment of intra-abdominal pressure by measurement of abdominal wall tension.

Background: Sustained increased intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) has negative effects. Noninvasive IAP measurement could be beneficial to improve monitoring of patients at risk and in whom IAP measurements might be unreliable. We assessed the relation between IAP and abdominal wall tension (AWT) in vitro and in vivo.

Influence of anatomic landmarks in the virtual environment on simulated angled laparoscope navigation.

Background: The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of the presence of anatomic landmarks on the performance of angled laparoscope navigation on the SimSurgery SEP simulator.

Methods: Twenty-eight experienced laparoscopic surgeons (familiar with 30° angled laparoscope, >100 basic laparoscopic procedures, >5 advanced laparoscopic procedures) and 23 novices (no laparoscopy experience) performed the Camera Navigation task in an abstract virtual environment (CN-box) and in a virtual representation of the lower abdomen (CN-abdomen). They also rated the realism and added value of the virtual environments on seven-point scales.

Measurements of the exerted pressure by pelvic circumferential compression devices.

Background: Data on the efficacy and safety of non-invasive Pelvic Circumferential Compression Devices (PCCDs) is limited. Tissue damage may occur if a continuous pressure on the skin exceeding 9.3 kPa is sustained for more than two or three hours.

Do basic psychomotor skills transfer between different image-based procedures?

Background: Surgical techniques that draw from multiple types of image-based procedures (IBP) are increasing, such as Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery, fusing laparoscopy and flexible endoscopy. However, little is known about the relation between psychomotor skills for performing different types of IBP. For example, do basic psychomotor colonoscopy and laparoscopy skills interact?

Methods: Following a cross-over study design, 29 naïve endoscopists were trained on the Simbionix GI Mentor and the SimSurgery SEP simulators.

Evaluation of operative notes concerning laparoscopic cholecystectomy: are standards being met?

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the most performed minimal invasive surgical procedure and has a relatively high complication rate. As complications are often revealed postoperatively, clear, accurate, and timely written operative notes are important in order to recall the procedure and start follow-up treatment as soon as possible. In addition, the surgeon's operative notes are important to assure surgical quality and communication with other healthcare providers.

Training of basic laparoscopy skills on SimSurgery SEP.

The aim of this study was to assess the performance curve for novices training in bimanual tissue manipulation and angled laparoscope navigation, and compare those performances with the performances of experienced laparoscopic surgeons. The Camera Navigation task with a 30 degrees angled laparoscope and the Place Arrow task of the new SimSurgery SEP virtual reality simulator were used. Fourteen medical trainees (no laparoscopy experience) performed four training sessions within one week, including 15 repetitions of each task in total.