Strategies to improve surgical technical competency: a systematic review.

Lauren Banko, Ruchit V Patel, Noah Nawabi, Marcelle Altshuler, Lila Medeiros, G Rees Cosgrove, Wenya Linda Bi

Abstract readSystematic Review

In one paragraph

Synthesis in Acta neurochirurgica, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

2citing papers in PubMed

–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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

Preliminary insights on high-fidelity embalming solutions for surgical skills training-An evaluation using the McMaster Embalming Scale and mechanical tests.Anatomical sciences education · 2026
Article
The application effect of the segmented teaching method in training medical students on clinical practice skills.BMC medical education · 2024
Article

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

7 authors.

Lauren BankoDepartment of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.

Ruchit V PatelDepartment of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.

Noah NawabiDepartment of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.

Marcelle AltshulerDepartment of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.

Lila MedeirosDepartment of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.

G Rees CosgroveDepartment of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.

Wenya Linda BiDepartment of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. wbi@bwh.harvard.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundA cornerstone of surgical residency training is an educational program that produces highly skilled and effective surgeons. Training structures are constantly being revised due to evolving program structures, shifting workforces, and variability in the clinical environment. This has resulted in significant heterogeneity in all surgical resident education, training tools utilized, and measures of training efficacy.

methodsWe systematically reviewed educational interventions for technical skills in neurosurgery published across PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science over four decades. We extracted general characteristics of each surgical training tool while categorizing educational interventions by modality and neurosurgical application.

resultsWe identified 626 studies which developed surgical training tools across eight different training modalities: textbooks and literature (11), online resources (53), didactic teaching and one-on-one instruction (7), laboratory courses (50), cadaveric models (63), animal models (47), mixed reality (166), and physical models (229). While publication volume has grown exponentially, a majority of studies were cited with relatively low frequency. Most training programs were published in the development and validation phase with only 2.1% of tools implemented long-term. Each training modality expressed unique strengths and limitations, with limited data reported on the educational impact connected to each training tool.

conclusionsNumerous surgical training tools have been developed and implemented across residency training programs. Though many creative and cutting-edge tools have been devised, evidence supporting educational efficacy and long-term application is lacking. Increased utilization of novel surgical training tools will require validation of metrics used to assess the training outcomes and optimized integration with clinical practice.

Indexed as

Internship and ResidencyNeurosurgeryClinical CompetenceCurriculumHumansNeurosurgical ProceduresMeta-analysisSurgical educationSurgical skillsTechnical competencyTraining tools

Identifiers

PMID37945995

DOI10.1016/j.wneu.2019.06.184

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.