Journal of the American College of Surgeons
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Multicenter Study
Investigating Association Between Sex and Faculty Teaching Evaluation in General Surgery Residency Programs: A Multi-Institutional Study.
In specialties with gender imbalance, such as general surgery, women faculty frequently receive lower teaching evaluation scores compared with men, which can affect academic advancement. ⋯ This multi-institutional analysis of general surgical resident evaluations of faculty identified that female gender was associated with higher evaluation scores than men (although the difference was small). This unanticipated finding might reflect the slowly changing gender balance within general surgery and attitudes towards female faculty in a traditionally male-dominated field. Contrary to our hypothesis, female gender was associated with higher faculty evaluation scores at programs with fewer women faculty and fewer women residents.
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The COVD-19 global pandemic has placed a large demand on personal protective equipment for healthcare workers. N-95 respirators, required to perform aerosolizing procedures, are in short supply and have increased significantly in cost. The lack of a clear end to the pandemic requires hospitals to create a long-term, cost effective solution to the N95 shortage. We initially used previously described methods to reuse and resterilize N95 masks; however, we found they did not solve the issues related to just-in-time fit-testing and cost. ⋯ Establishment of an elastomeric mask program is feasible and less expensive than programs focused on reusing and disinfecting disposable N95 masks. A well thought out elastomeric distribution and disinfection program does not pose greater operational challenges than an N95 reuse and resterilization program. In addition, elastomeric masks can be stored for future surges and should be considered an essential part of all healthcare facilities' supply of personal protective equipment. Implementation of the program has eliminated our dependence on disposable N95s to maintain normal operations during the global pandemic.
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Multicenter Study
Underrepresented Minorities in General Surgery Residency: Analysis of Interviewed Applicants, Residents, and Core Teaching Faculty.
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires diversity in residency. The self-identified race/ethnicities of general surgery applicants, residents, and core teaching faculty were assessed to evaluate underrepresented minority (URM) representation in surgery residency programs and to determine the impact of URM faculty and residents on URM applicants' selection for interview or match. ⋯ Programs with a greater proportion of URM core faculty or residents did not select a greater proportion of URM applicants for interview. However, core faculty and resident racial diversity were correlated. Recruitment of racially/ethnically diverse trainees and faculty will require ongoing analysis to develop effective recruitment strategies.
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Multicenter Study
Correlation of Proposed Surgical Volume Standards for Complex Cancer Surgery with Hospital Mortality.
Minimum case volume thresholds for complex cancer operations have been proposed by the Leapfrog Group. There has been no formal study of how these standards correlate with actual hospital mortality. ⋯ Although proposed minimum VTs are reasonably good at identifying PPHs, they misclassify 3 of 4 hospitals below the minimum VT as PPHs and 1 of 4 PPHs as meeting the minimum VT. Use of case volume cutoffs alone does not correlate well with actual hospital mortality.
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Multicenter Study
Robotic Approach to Outpatient Inguinal Hernia Repair.
Robotics offers improved ergonomics, visualization, instrument articulation, and tremor filtration. Disadvantages include startup cost and system breakdown. Surgeon education notwithstanding, we hypothesize that robotic inguinal hernia repair carries minimal advantages over the laparoscopic or open approach. ⋯ Robotic surgery has increased charges and is performed in sicker, higher-income patients. The open approach is more apt to be performed in black/Hispanic, self-pay patients, and for-profit hospitals. The role for robotic inguinal hernia repair is undefined.