Teaching Basic Surgical Skills Using a More Frugal, Near-Peer, and Environmentally Sustainable Way: Mixed Methods Study (Preprint)

• DOI: 10.2196/preprints.50212
• Publication Date: 2023-11-15T14:46:05Z
• Authors: Ben Smith; Christopher Paton; Prashanth Ramaraj
• Keywords: Logbook

<sec> <title>BACKGROUND</title> The Royal College of Surgeons Basic Surgical Skills (BSS) course is ubiquitous among UK surgical trainees but geographically limited and costly. COVID-19 pandemic has reduced training quality. Surveys illustrate logbook completion increased trainee attrition. Local, peer-led teaching been shown to be effective at increasing confidence in skills a cost-effective manner. Qualitative data on well-being, recruitment, retention are lacking. </sec> <title>OBJECTIVE</title> This study aims evaluate the impact novel program weekly, lunchtime BSS sessions both quantitative qualitative factors. <title>METHODS</title> A was designed achieve outcomes over 16-week period overlapping with 1 foundation doctor rotation. All health care workers center were eligible participate. advertised via trust-wide information email. Course included knot tying, suturing, abscess incision drainage, fracture fixation application plaster Paris, joint aspirations reductions, abdominal wall closure, basic laparoscopic skills. hospital canteen sourced unwanted pig skin from local butcher for suturing pork belly closure sessions. Out-of-date equipment used. concurrent, nested, mixed methods involved descriptive analysis perceived improvement scores each skill before after session, 4 iterations (May 2021 August 2022). After sessions, students completed voluntary web-based feedback form scoring presession postsession levels 5-point Likert scale. thematic semistructured student interview transcripts also performed understand free-to-attend, local, near-peer quality training, interest career. Students consented use this study. Ethics approval requested deemed not necessary by center’s ethics committee. <title>RESULTS</title> There 64 responses. Confidence significantly improved 47% 73% (95% CI 15%-27%; &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&amp;lt;.001; &lt;i&gt;t&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sub&gt;13&lt;/sub&gt;=5.3117) across all iterations. Among 7 interviews, 100% (7/7) participants reported value added positivity toward 71% (5/7) preferred weekly teaching. Interest career unchanged. <title>CONCLUSIONS</title> feasible around clinical workloads, resourced locally next no cost, environmentally sustainable, free attend. offered junior doctors only opportunity learn teach. Peer-led, decentralized education increases positive effect perceptions about well-being training. We hope disseminate course, leading reproduction other centers, refinement, wide implementation.