Quality and Simulation Professionals Should Collaborate.

Simulation is underutilized as a tool to improve healthcare quality and safety despite many examples of its effectiveness to identify and remedy quality and safety problems, improve teamwork, and improve various measures of quality and safety that are important to healthcare organizations, eg, patient safety indicators. We urge quality and safety and simulation professionals to collaborate with their counterparts in their organizations to employ simulation in ways that improve the quality and safety of care of their patients. These collaborations could begin through initiating conversations among the quality and safety and simulation professionals, perhaps using this article as a prompt for discussion, identifying one area in need of quality and safety improvement for which simulation can be helpful, and beginning that work.

Call to Action: Quality and Simulation Professionals Should Collaborate.

Simulation is underutilized as a tool to improve healthcare quality and safety despite many examples of its effectiveness to identify and remedy quality and safety problems, improve teamwork, and improve various measures of quality and safety that are important to healthcare organizations, eg, patient safety indicators. We urge quality and safety and simulation professionals to collaborate with their counterparts in their organizations to employ simulation in ways that improve the quality and safety of care of their patients. These collaborations could begin through initiating conversations among the quality and safety and simulation professionals, perhaps using this article as a prompt for discussion, identifying one area in need of quality and safety improvement for which simulation can be helpful, and beginning that work.

At-home medical student simulation: achieving knot-tying proficiency using video-based assessment.

Purpose: Due to the pandemic, we restructured our medical student knot-tying simulation to a virtual format. This study evaluated curriculum feasibility and effectiveness.

Methods: Over 4 weeks, second-year medical students ( = 229) viewed a video tutorial (task demonstration, errors, scoring) and self-practiced to proficiency (no critical errors, < 2 min) using at-home suture kits (simple interrupted suture, instrument tie, penrose drain model).

Assessing quality and resources during campus-wide simulation integration.

Introduction: Our simulation center, supported by four departments (Surgery, OB/GYN, Urology, and Anesthesiology), is accredited as a comprehensive Accredited Educational Institute (AEI) and is now expanding to accommodate all departments on campus.

Methods: A 61-point questionnaire was administered to 44 stakeholders, representing all of UME and GME. Data were compared for AEI vs.

Developing a comprehensive, proficiency-based training program for robotic surgery.

Introduction: Robotically assisted surgery has become very popular for numerous surgical disciplines, yet training practices remain variable with little to no validation. The purpose of this study was to develop a comprehensive, proficiency-based robotic training program.

Methods: A skill deconstruction list was generated by observation of robotic operations and interviews with experts.

Comprehensive proficiency-based inanimate training for robotic surgery: reliability, feasibility, and educational benefit.

Background: We previously developed a comprehensive proficiency-based robotic training curriculum demonstrating construct, content, and face validity. This study aimed to assess reliability, feasibility, and educational benefit associated with curricular implementation.

Methods: Over an 11-month period, 55 residents, fellows, and faculty (robotic novices) from general surgery, urology, and gynecology were enrolled in a 2-month curriculum: online didactics, half-day hands-on tutorial, and self-practice using nine inanimate exercises.

Proficiency-based training for robotic surgery: construct validity, workload, and expert levels for nine inanimate exercises.

Background: We previously developed nine inanimate training exercises as part of a comprehensive, proficiency-based robotic training curriculum that addressed 23 unique skills identified via task deconstruction of robotic operations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate construct validity, workload, and expert levels for the nine exercises.

Methods: Expert robotic surgeons (n = 8, fellows and faculty) and novice trainees (n = 4, medical students) each performed three to five consecutive repetitions of nine previously reported exercises (five FLS models with or without modifications and four custom-made models).

Content and face validity of a comprehensive robotic skills training program for general surgery, urology, and gynecology.

Background: The authors previously developed a comprehensive, proficiency-based robotic training curriculum that aimed to address 23 unique skills identified via task deconstruction of robotic operations. The purpose of this study was to determine the content and face validity of this curriculum.

Methods: Expert robotic surgeons (n = 12) rated each deconstructed skill regarding relevance to robotic operations, were oriented to the curricular components, performed 3 to 5 repetitions on the 9 exercises, and rated each exercise.

Laparoscopic esophagomyotomy for achalasia: how I do it.

Introduction: The pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment options for achalasia are briefly discussed, followed by a description of the minimally invasive surgical approaches to this disease, as practiced by the authors.

Summary: Laparoscopic myotomy is performed routinely at our institution in the lithotomy position under endoscopic control. The techniques for performing the myotomy, the use of fundoplication, and the adaptation of this approach to use the surgical robot are described.

Ultrasound-guided breast biopsy curriculum for surgical residents.

Ultrasound-guided breast biopsy has emerged as a common method for lesion diagnosis. This study sought to instruct and measure surgical residents' performance in ultrasound-guided breast biopsy and evaluate their thoughts regarding it. Thirteen (n = 13) senior residents completed a written pretest or questionnaire and 2.

Costs and utilization of intraoperative cholangiography.

Background: Routine intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) has been advocated as a viable strategy to reduce common bile duct injury (CDI) during cholecystectomy. This is predicated, in part, on the low cost of IOC, making it a cost-effective preventive strategy. Using billed hospital charges as a proxy for costs, we sought to estimate costs associated with the performance of IOC.

Indications for selective intraoperative cholangiography.

The indications for selective intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) include a clinical history of jaundice, pancreatitis, elevated bilirubin level, abnormal liver function test results, increased amylase levels, a high lipase level, or dilated common bile duct on preoperative ultrasonography. Although these clinical features are widely accepted as indications for IOC, they have not been tested for their ability to predict choledocholithiasis. Charts were reviewed for a 6-month time period in 2003 at Parkland Memorial Hospital for all patients undergoing cholecystectomy.

Do resident duty hour restrictions reduce technical complications of emergency laparoscopic cholecystectomy?

Background: The impact of resident duty hour restrictions on patient care has not been assessed.

Study Design: We studied 275 patients undergoing emergency cholecystectomy before and after duty hour regulations instituted by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Operations were stratified into 6-hour intervals from the time in-hospital call began.

Technical complications are rising as common duct exploration is becoming rare.

Background: Both hospital and surgeon volume influence outcomes. With introduction of new technologies, some procedures are now performed less frequently. ERCP has replaced the need for common duct exploration (CDE) in most cases of choledocholithiasis.

Multicenter construct validity for southwestern laparoscopic videotrainer stations.

Background: The "Southwestern" videotrainer stations have demonstrated concurrent validity (transferability to the operating room). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Southwestern stations for construct validity (the ability to discriminate between subjects at different levels of experience).

Materials And Methods: From two surgical training programs, Institutional Review Board approved protocol data were collected from 142 subjects, including novice (medical students and R1, n = 66), intermediate (R2-R4, n = 67), and advanced (R5 and expert surgeons, n = 9) groups.

Rebleeding and survival after acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

Background: Previous studies of acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) have focused on evaluation and therapy. Measurement of long-term outcome has been rare. The purpose of this study was to document rebleeding and survival rates in patients with acute LGIB.

Why should the VA continue academic affiliations?

Academic affiliations between VA medical centers and medical schools have made an important contribution to the healthcare of veterans and the education of physicians over the last 60 years. The rationale for these affiliations and their establishment following World War II is discussed. The circumstances leading to affiliations and the benefit they afford veterans remain pertinent today.