Evidence map›Paper›PMID 18057179›Full record

ArticlePostgraduate medical journal2007

Learning curves in surgical practice.

A N Hopper, M H Jamison, W G Lewis

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Postgraduate medical journal, 2007. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 191 papers, 18 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
191citing papers in PubMed, 18 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

191 citing papers in PubMed, 18 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Learning curve in robotic inguinal hernia repair: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery · 2026
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  4. Implication of surgical loupes on complications following thyroidectomy: a meta-analysis.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2025
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131 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

A N HopperDepartment of Surgery, Nevill Hall Hospital, Brecon Road, Abergavenny NP7 7EG, UK. hopper31@talktalk.net
M H Jamison
W G Lewis

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Learning curves are often referred to in the context of medical education and training, though their trajectories and natures are a matter of debate. The origins of this concept derive from industry and its relevance to contemporary medicine and surgery remains controversial. We describe the history, derivation, character and possible mechanisms to deal with the implications of learning curves in the current climate of clinical governance and modernizing medical careers.

Indexed as

Clinical CompetenceEducation, Medical, GraduateGeneral SurgeryTime Factors

Identifiers

PMID18057179
PMCPMC2750931

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.