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Prevention training of wrong-site spine surgery
Addisu Mesfin1, Colin Canham1, Louis Okafor2
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York.
Journal of Surgical Education
|April 20, 2015
Summary
Many spine surgery fellows experience wrong-site surgery (WSS) but receive limited formal education on its prevention. Fellowships should integrate WSS prevention didactics into their curriculum to improve patient safety and reduce medicolegal risks.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Patient Safety
- Surgical Training
Background:
- Wrong-site surgery (WSS) is a critical patient safety concern and a sentinel event.
- Current educational strategies for preventing WSS among North American spine surgery fellows are not well-defined.
- Understanding fellows' exposure and educational needs regarding WSS is crucial for curriculum development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the level of education, awareness, and personal experience with WSS among spine surgery fellows in North America.
- To identify the interest of fellows in formal didactics and webinars focused on WSS prevention.
Main Methods:
- An observational survey study was conducted.
- Anonymous questionnaires were distributed to 156 spine surgery fellows across 75 programs.
- Data collected included fellowship demographics, WSS didactics, personal WSS experience, and interest in prevention education.
Main Results:
- Out of 152 fellows, 46 (30.3%) responded; 30.4% reported experiencing WSS.
- Only 33% of fellows received formal didactics on WSS during their training.
- A majority of fellows (61%) expressed interest in formal WSS prevention didactics, with those who experienced WSS showing significantly higher interest (79%).
Conclusions:
- This study highlights a significant gap in formal WSS prevention education for spine surgery fellows.
- A substantial percentage of fellows have encountered WSS, underscoring the need for improved training.
- Spine surgery fellowship programs should incorporate comprehensive didactics on WSS prevention to enhance patient safety and mitigate risks.
