Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42545525›Full record

ArticleSurgical endoscopy2026

Assessment methods for surgeons' ergonomics in the operating room: a scoping review.

Saki Hayashi, Jun Watanabe, Kengo Hayashi, Ryota Matsui, Jun Kinoshita, Noriyuki Inaki

Abstract readScoping Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Surgical endoscopy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

6 authors.

Saki HayashiDepartment of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Kanazawa University Hospital, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, 920-8641, Japan. saki.n0806@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-1363-3288
Jun WatanabeDivision of Gastroenterological, General and Transplant Surgery, Department of Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke-City, Tochigi, Japan.
Kengo HayashiDepartment of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Kanazawa University Hospital, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, 920-8641, Japan.
Ryota MatsuiDepartment of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Kanazawa University Hospital, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, 920-8641, Japan.
Jun KinoshitaDepartment of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Kanazawa University Hospital, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, 920-8641, Japan.
Noriyuki InakiDepartment of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Kanazawa University Hospital, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, 920-8641, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundErgonomics is essential for ensuring safe, high-quality surgical care. However, existing studies vary widely in their clinical settings, terminology, and assessment methods. This scoping review aimed to map the terminology and methods used to evaluate surgeons' ergonomics in real-world surgical environments.

methodsWe systematically searched MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, IEEE Xplore, the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to July 1, 2025 for studies that assessed physical, cognitive, or organizational ergonomics. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts, assessed full texts, and extracted study characteristics and outcomes. Assessment tools were categorized as self-reported, observational, direct or instrumental, or computer based. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251088370).

resultsNinety-nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Minimally invasive surgery predominated: 60 studies involved laparoscopic surgery (including thoracoscopic and other endoscopic minimally invasive approaches), and 36 evaluated robotic surgery. Comparative designs most frequently compared laparoscopic versus robotic surgery (n = 14). Physical, cognitive, and organizational ergonomics were assessed in 64, 49, and 19 studies, respectively, with 31 addressing multiple domains. Considerable variation was observed in terminology and assessment methods. Physical ergonomics was most commonly evaluated using observational or instrumental approaches, whereas cognitive ergonomics primarily relied on self-reported measures. Computer-based assessments, including artificial intelligence-assisted tools, have recently emerged.

conclusionThis review provides a structured framework for assessing ergonomics in surgery and highlights substantial heterogeneity in terminology and assessment methods. Standardized, multimodal, and objective approaches are needed to enhance comparability across studies.

Indexed as

ErgonomicsOperating RoomsSurgeonsHumansAssessment methodCognitive workloadErgonomicsIntraoperativePhysical workloadWorkflow

Identifiers

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Registered trials

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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.