Todd A Jaffe, BBA, Steven J Hasday, BS, Meghan C Knol, MS, Jason C Pradarelli, MS, Justin B Dimick, MD, MPH. University of Michigan
Introduction: Surgical outcomes vary considerably across hospitals and individual surgeons. It has been demonstrated that expert assessment of surgeons’ skill using intraoperative videos correlates strongly with surgical outcomes. The current landscape of intraoperative video review among surgeons is largely unknown. Our aim is to understand how surgeons currently use intraoperative video and determine their interest in being assessed by a surgeon trained to serve as a coach.
Methods and Procedures: 77 faculty in the Department of Surgery at a large Midwestern Academic Health Center were invited to participate in a 22-question on-line survey via email. Survey respondents were asked to indicate if they have ever used intraoperative video review to critique their own surgical performance. Based on response, respondents were asked to indicate either how helpful they believe video is, or how helpful they believe video would be. All respondents were asked to indicate how helpful they perceive it would be to have a surgeon trained as a coach review their intraoperative video.
Results: The survey response rate was 71% (55/77). 18/55 (33%) of respondents have personally reviewed their own intraoperative videos, while 37/55 (67%) have not. 78% (14/18) of those that have used personal video review in the past considered it to be helpful (indicated by responses of either “somewhat helpful” or “very helpful” on a 5-point Likert scale). Among respondents who had not reviewed their own intraoperative videos, 62% (23/37) perceived it to be helpful. Only 11% (4/37) believed video review would be unhelpful (indicated by responses of either “very unhelpful” or “somewhat unhelpful”).
82% (45/55) of respondents believe that having a surgeon trained as a coach review and critique their intraoperative videos would be helpful. Conversely, only 2 respondents (3.6%) indicated that they believe coaching would be unhelpful.
Conclusion: Personal use of intraoperative video to review and critique surgical performance is not commonly used by practicing surgeons. However, a vast majority of surgeons perceive personal video review as helpful, regardless of previous use. Surgeons also largely feel that having a surgeon trained as a coach review intraoperative videos would be helpful.