The Effect of an Ergonomic Educational Intervention on Laparoscopic Surgeons' Ergonomic Risk Scores (ErgoEd)

NCT ID: NCT06622980

Last Updated: 2024-10-02

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 10 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-02-21
• Study Completion Date: 2024-09-12

Brief Summary

This study aims to determine whether education of surgeons can reduce the physical strain of performing surgery. Laparoscopic surgery is known to be beneficial for patients but can cause both short- and long-term musculoskeletal injuries for the surgeons who perform it. The purpose of the study is to investigate whether the physical risks to surgeons can be reduced by educating them on how to best set up the operating theatre and equipment, and how to optimise their posture and position whilst operating.

Detailed Description

This study has been designed to assess whether receiving education in ergonomic principles can lower surgeons' ergonomic risk scores when performing laparoscopic surgery. The study will recruit surgeons who regularly perform laparoscopic surgery, with no stipulations on surgeon speciality. All surgeons will be required to have completed at least 20 laparoscopic cases beforehand.

The primary outcome will be assessed intraoperatively, with additional questionnaire data collected immediately postoperatively. Assessment of ergonomics (REBA score) will be done from still photographs that focus on the operating surgeon, although other team members may be visible in the background. Photographs will be analysed postoperatively by the research team and an overall REBA score calculated for each surgeon.

Other secondary outcomes will be assessed via a questionnaire. After each operation surgeons will complete a subjective cognitive and physical strain questionnaire based on the NASA-TLX and SURG-TLX scales, which are both widely used and validated tools. Additional questions have been added in order to provide data for the development of a new subjective physical strain questionnaire based on pooled data from several surgical ergonomics trials.

Conditions

Surgery, Laparoscopic

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Laparoscopic surgeons

Laparoscopic surgeons from any surgical subspecialty

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Education

Intervention Type: OTHER

The educational intervention will take the form of a video explaining both general ergonomic principles and specific advice for laparoscopic surgeons. This video will be shown to surgeons at a time of their convenience and the research team will be available to answer any further questions at this time.

The educational video will cover both ergonomics principles and specific advice for laparoscopic surgeons. The principles will be relevant to any situation, including those outside the medical field. The laparoscopic-specific section will include tips for optimisation of operating theatre set-up and advice on posture and body position. The video content will be reviewed by experts experienced in surgical ergonomics education to ensure it covers all useful information and is in line with best practice.

Interventions

Education

The educational intervention will take the form of a video explaining both general ergonomic principles and specific advice for laparoscopic surgeons. This video will be shown to surgeons at a time of their convenience and the research team will be available to answer any further questions at this time.

The educational video will cover both ergonomics principles and specific advice for laparoscopic surgeons. The principles will be relevant to any situation, including those outside the medical field. The laparoscopic-specific section will include tips for optimisation of operating theatre set-up and advice on posture and body position. The video content will be reviewed by experts experienced in surgical ergonomics education to ensure it covers all useful information and is in line with best practice.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Laparoscopic surgeon from any surgical subspecialty
• Can commit sufficient time to ergonomic training

Exclusion Criteria

• Training grade more junior than a registrar

• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Barrie Keeler

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Milton Keynes University Hospital

Locations

Milton Keynes University Hospital

Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom

Countries

United Kingdom

Other Identifiers

332452

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

MKUH-RD-027

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id