Utilising an Accelerated Delphi Process to Develop Guidance and Protocols for Telepresence Applications in Remote...

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Surgical Training
• Telemedicine

Background:

• Robot-assisted surgery's role is expanding globally.
• COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions impede traditional trainer-proctor interactions.
• Need for remote training solutions in surgical education is critical.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish guidance for optimized telementoring services in robotic surgery training.
• To define a standardized approach for skill acquisition using telepresence technologies.
• To seek consensus from key opinion leaders on essential elements of telepresence training.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review and teleconference meetings.
• Accelerated Delphi process with 24 international experts over 72 hours.
• Three-round survey with consensus defined as ≥80% agreement.

Main Results:

• 100% consensus on the urgent need for international telepresence guidance.
• Agreement on infrastructure, definitions, protocols (training, communication, safety), and accountability.
• Formulated guidance demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach alpha = 0.90).

Conclusions:

• International expert consensus achieved on optimized telepresence services for robotic surgery training using the Delphi method.
• The developed guidance provides a foundation for implementing telepresence in surgical education.
• Further validation of the guidance is recommended for widespread adoption.