ErgoEd: a pre-post trial investigating the effect of ergonomic education on laparoscopic surgeons' ergonomic risk...

This pre-post trial investigates whether ergonomic education using the STEPS model (Screen, Table, Equipment, Posture, Stance) can improve laparoscopic surgeons' ergonomic risk. Intraoperative photographs taken at 1-min intervals were used to calculate risk through the objective Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) scale. Surgeons were reobserved immediately after an educational video, then again 4-6 weeks later. Cognitive strain (modified NASA-TLX), subjective outcomes, and knowledge retention were also assessed. Ten surgeons were recruited from colorectal, general, and gynaecology. There was no difference in REBA between baseline (REBA ​= ​5.0) and early reobservation (REBA ​= ​4.5) [0 ​= ​0.058], but between baseline and late reobservation (REBA ​= ​4.5) there was a significant reduction [p ​= ​0.028]. The overall scores for each day remained in the "medium risk" category. Knowledge retention was good (90 ​% correct answers). All found the education worthwhile and subsequently made changes to their practice. Ergonomic education is desired and deemed very important by surgeons, and reduces both their ergonomic risk and subjective experience of pain, but laparoscopic surgery remains ergonomically "medium risk" overall. Further solutions must be found to reduce risk.