Developing the surgical technique reporting checklist and standards: a study protocol.

Area of Science:

• Medical Research Methodology
• Surgical Education
• Scientific Publishing Standards

Background:

• Current surgical technique reporting lacks standardization and detail, hindering effective dissemination and improvement.
• Existing guidelines are insufficient for comprehensive surgical technique reporting across diverse procedures.
• A need exists for a standardized framework to ensure clarity and detail in reporting surgical techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To formulate a rigorous protocol for developing the Surgical Technique Reporting (SUPER) checklist and standards.
• To define the essential components of a clear, comprehensive, and detailed surgical technique report.
• To improve the quality and consistency of surgical technique reporting in medical literature.

Main Methods:

• Protocol development follows EQUATOR network guidance for reporting guidelines.
• A multidisciplinary team (surgeons, methodologists, editors) will develop the checklist.
• The checklist will be refined through scoping reviews, journal article analysis, Delphi surveys, meetings, and pilot testing.

Main Results:

• The SUPER checklist will be developed using a rigorous, multi-stage process.
• The checklist will incorporate insights from existing guidelines, top journal publications, and expert consensus.
• The final checklist will be pilot-tested and published as open-access.

Conclusions:

• The SUPER checklist aims to standardize surgical technique reporting across all surgical specialties.
• Implementation of the SUPER checklist will benefit surgeons, educators, reviewers, and editors.
• This initiative will enhance the dissemination, implementation, and improvement of surgical techniques globally.