Sep 25, 2023

Are you attending the 2023 Clinical Congress October 22-25 in Boston? If so, we invite you to participate in an important research initiative being conducted by Dr. Carla Pugh, Professor of Surgery and Director of the Technology-Enabled Clinical Improvement (TECI) Center at Stanford University and supported by the Academy for Surgical Coaching.

Dr. Pugh and the Academy are partnering together for the Surgery: Assess/Validate/Expand (SAVE) Program, an initiative funded by Wellcome LEAP to advance surgical education and practice. The goal of our collaborative project is to demonstrate how the combination of surgical data and surgical coaching can reduce the time to practice for surgical residents. The Clinical Congress provides a critical research opportunity, and we need your help.

 As in previous years, the TECI team is asking surgeons to perform simulated procedures during the conference and will be collecting data on their performance with their wearable technology. Two new aspects are being added to this year’s simulations:

• There will be a strong focus on resident participation, in addition to the skilled practitioners who usually complete the simulations
• Surgical coaches will be observing the simulations and then meeting with the participants for a 15-minute goal setting session following the simulation

Coaches will be calibrated and wear an EEG Sensor. Participants will take part in a simulated laparoscopic cholecystectomy procedure and laparoscopic suturing task held in the exhibit hall during the 2023 ACS Clinical Congress. The simulation will consist of two tasks: the dissection and clipping of the cystic artery and duct; and the placing of a laparoscopic suture. Surgical coaches will observe the simulation participants in real time, roughly a 30-minute procedure, and then lead a 15-minute coaching session focused on gap analysis and goal setting.

Coaches and participants will meet directly following the procedure. After the initial discussion, the surgical data report will be provided, at which point the coach and participant will be asked to determine if they would adjust any of the previous procedural steps based on the data provided. Following the coaching session, coaches and participants will be asked to complete an evaluation questionnaire and participate in a structured interview. Surgical coaches participating in the research should have laparoscopic experience but do not need specific experience with lap choles.

 Our goal is to have 10 surgical coaches on hand from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM on October 23, 24, and 25. Coaches can sign up for blocks of time based on your availability during the conference and will be provided with a stipend of $125 per hour for your participation.

We hope that you will join us for this important opportunity to help advance the study of surgical training and surgical coaching. If you are interested in participating, please indicate your interest and availability here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/L79ZGLY

We encourage coaches to sign up for as many hours as you are available throughout the three-day period.