Philip Dawe1, Andrew Kirkpatrick2, Max Talbot3, Andrew Beckett3, Naisan Garraway4, Heather Wong4, Syed Morad Hameed4. 1. Canadian Armed Forces, 1 Canadian Field Hospital, 147 Flanders Row, Garrison Petawawa, Ontario, K8H 2X3, Canada; Vancouver General Hospital, 855 W 12th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z 1M9, Canada. Electronic address: philip.dawe@vch.ca. 2. Foothills Medical Centre, 1403 29 Street NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 2T9, Canada. 3. Canadian Armed Forces, 1 Canadian Field Hospital, 147 Flanders Row, Garrison Petawawa, Ontario, K8H 2X3, Canada. 4. Vancouver General Hospital, 855 W 12th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z 1M9, Canada.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Damage-control and emergency surgical procedures in trauma have the potential to save lives. They may occasionally not be performed due to clinician inexperience or lack of comfort and knowledge. METHODS: Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) non-surgeon Medical Officers (MOs) participated in a live tissue training exercise. They received tele-mentoring assistance using a secure video-conferencing application on a smartphone/tablet platform. Feasibility of tele-mentored surgery was studied by measuring their effectiveness at completing a set series of tasks in this pilot study. Additionally, their comfort and willingness to perform studied procedures was gauged using pre- and post-study surveys. RESULTS: With no pre-procedural teaching, participants were able to complete surgical airway, chest tube insertion and resuscitative thoracotomy with 100% effectiveness with no noted complications. Comfort level and willingness to perform these procedures were improved with tele-mentoring. Participants felt that tele-mentored surgery would benefit their performance of resuscitative thoracotomy most. CONCLUSION: The use of tele-mentored surgery to assist non-surgeon clinicians in the performance of damage-control and emergency surgical procedures is feasible. More study is required to validate its effectiveness.
BACKGROUND: Damage-control and emergency surgical procedures in trauma have the potential to save lives. They may occasionally not be performed due to clinician inexperience or lack of comfort and knowledge. METHODS: Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) non-surgeon Medical Officers (MOs) participated in a live tissue training exercise. They received tele-mentoring assistance using a secure video-conferencing application on a smartphone/tablet platform. Feasibility of tele-mentored surgery was studied by measuring their effectiveness at completing a set series of tasks in this pilot study. Additionally, their comfort and willingness to perform studied procedures was gauged using pre- and post-study surveys. RESULTS: With no pre-procedural teaching, participants were able to complete surgical airway, chest tube insertion and resuscitative thoracotomy with 100% effectiveness with no noted complications. Comfort level and willingness to perform these procedures were improved with tele-mentoring. Participants felt that tele-mentored surgery would benefit their performance of resuscitative thoracotomy most. CONCLUSION: The use of tele-mentored surgery to assist non-surgeon clinicians in the performance of damage-control and emergency surgical procedures is feasible. More study is required to validate its effectiveness.
Authors: Edgar Rojas-Muñoz; Chengyuan Lin; Natalia Sanchez-Tamayo; Maria Eugenia Cabrera; Daniel Andersen; Voicu Popescu; Juan Antonio Barragan; Ben Zarzaur; Patrick Murphy; Kathryn Anderson; Thomas Douglas; Clare Griffis; Jessica McKee; Andrew W Kirkpatrick; Juan P Wachs Journal: NPJ Digit Med Date: 2020-05-21
Authors: Nabil Ali-Mohamad; Massimo F Cau; James R Baylis; Hugh Semple; Christian J Kastrup; Andrew Beckett Journal: Mil Med Date: 2022-03-01 Impact factor: 1.563