Creation of an Application to Increase Surgical Resident Operative Case Coverage

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Surgical resident confidence is linked to operative experience volume.
• Residencies often involve multiple hospitals and attendings, creating cross-coverage opportunities.
• Lack of awareness of available cases can limit resident operative experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a mobile application for operative cross-coverage.
• To improve surgical opportunities for residents in a large program.
• To decrease the number of uncovered surgical cases.

Main Methods:

• Implemented a mobile app for uncovered case notification in March 2022.
• Conducted pre- and post-implementation resident surveys.
• Performed a retrospective chart review of general surgery procedures before and after app implementation.

Main Results:

• Post-app, 100% of residents reported better awareness of available cases.
• The app significantly increased total case coverage across endoscopic, laparoscopic, open, and robotic procedures.
• Residents reported the app simplified finding coverage and increased accessibility of uncovered cases.

Conclusions:

• Mobile applications can significantly enhance surgical resident operative experiences.
• Technological innovation positively impacts surgical education and training.
• This approach can be applied to improve resident training in various surgical fields nationwide.