Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38514152›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2024

Investigation of divergent thinking among surgeons and surgeon trainees in Canada (IDEAS): a mixed-methods study.

Alex Thabane, Tyler McKechnie, Vikram Arora, Goran Calic, Jason W Busse, Ranil Sonnadara, Mohit Bhandari

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2024. 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
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
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, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. 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 at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Alex ThabaneDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada alexthabane@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0002-1516-9584
Tyler McKechnieDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-7668-4096
Vikram AroraDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-4268-475X
Goran CalicDeGroote School of Business, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Jason W BusseDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-0178-8712
Ranil SonnadaraDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Mohit BhandariDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Impact · CAMcMaster University · CAUniversity of Toronto · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo assess the creative potential of surgeons and surgeon trainees, as measured by divergent thinking. The secondary objectives were to identify factors associated with divergent thinking, assess confidence in creative problem-solving and the perceived effect of surgical training on creative potential, and explore the value of creativity in surgery.

designWe used a mixed-methods design, conducting a survey of divergent thinking ability using a validated questionnaire followed by two semi-structured interviews with top-scoring participants. PARTICIPANTS &

settingSurgeons and surgeon trainees in the Department of Surgery at McMaster University. OUTCOMES: The primary outcome was divergent thinking, assessed with the Abbreviated Torrance Test for Adults. Participants also self-assessed their confidence in creative problem-solving and the effect of surgical training on their creative potential. We performed descriptive analyses and multivariable linear regression to identify factors associated with divergent thinking. We conducted a thematic analysis of the interview responses.

results82 surgeons and surgeon trainees were surveyed; 43 were junior trainees and 28 were senior trainees. General surgery, orthopaedic surgery and plastic surgery represented 71.9% of the participants. The median participant age was 28 years (range 24-73), 51.2% of whom were female. Participants demonstrated levels of divergent thinking that were higher but not meaningfully different from the adult norm (62.39 (95% CI 61.25, 63.53), p<0.001). While participants scored significantly higher than the average adult on fluency (the ability to produce quantities of ideas) and flexibility (the ability to process information in different ways) (p<0.001 for both), they scored below average on originality (the ability to produce uncommon, new or unique ideas) (p<0.001). Regression analysis identified higher divergent thinking scores among females (estimated β=-3.58 (95% CI -6.25 to -0.90), p=0.010).

conclusionsThe divergent thinking ability among surgeons and surgeon trainees was not meaningfully different from the adult normative score; however, their ability to generate original ideas was below average.

Indexed as

SurgeonsThinkingAdultAgedCanadaCreativityFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProblem SolvingYoung AdultEDUCATION & TRAINING (see Medical Education & Training)Observational StudySURGERY

Identifiers

PMID38514152
PMCPMC10961566
OpenAlexW4393063083

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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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.