Dominic King

Technologies for global health

Institute for Global Health Innovation (L Conteh PhD, Prof A Darzi FRCS, P Howitt MA, K Kerr PhD, Prof S Matlin DSc, R Merrifi eld PhD, Prof G-Z Yang PhD), Centre for Environmental Policy (E Wilson MSc), Centre for Health Policy (D King MRCS, M Kulendran MRCS, Prof P C Smith BA), Department of Bioengineering (Prof A M J Bull PhD, Prof R A Malkin PhD, Prof M M Stevens PhD), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (M R Templeton PhD), Department of Infectious Diseases (G S Cooke PhD, N Ford PhD, S D Reid PhD), Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology (S A J Gregson PhD), Department of Materials (Prof M M Stevens), Department of Medicine (A Blakemore PhD), Department of Primary Care & Public Health (Prof A Majeed MD), Department of Surgery and Cancer (H Ashrafi an MRCS, Prof C Vincent PhD), Faculty of Medicine (Prof R Atun FRCP), Global eHealth Unit (J Car PhD), Imperial College Business School (Prof R Atun FRCP, Prof J Barlow PhD), and Imperial Innovations (HA Penfold PhD), Imperial College London, London, UK Technologies for global health

Actor training for surgical team simulations

Background: Immersive simulations can enable surgeons to learn complex sets of skills required for safe surgical practice without risk to patients. However, recruiting healthcare professionals to support surgeons training as members of an operating theatre (OT) team is challenging and resource intensive. Aim: We developed a training programme for actors to take on the role of an OT team to support validation studies in a simulated environment. This article describes the evaluation of the programme. Methods: The programme comprised of written materials, video discussion and experiential activities. Evaluation methods consisted of post-simulation interviews and questionnaires with actors and surgeons. Participants were recruited by convenience sampling. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and interviews were analysed using thematic extraction. Results: Three actors participated in the programme. Twelve surgeons completed simulations. All data suggest that the training was successful. Actors were perceived as realistic. Suggestions were made to improve training. Conclusion: After a brief training, actors can realistically portray members of an OT team in simulations designed to support surgeon training. This article highlights factors that contributed to success and suggests improvements. Although there are limitations with the study, its findings have relevance to training and assessment that focuses on individual clinicians functioning as a member of an OT team.

Testicular dislocation: the importance of scrotal examination in a trauma patient.

Testicular dislocation after blunt perineal trauma is a rare event and a diagnosis that can be easily overlooked. Careful examination can help facilitate early and appropriate treatment. Timely diagnosis and surgical management are of paramount importance to preserve normal spermatogenic function in the dislocated testicle. We describe a case of testicular dislocation and discuss some of the issues surrounding diagnosis and treatment.

Training clinicians to lead.

In light of the reforms of the Health and Social Care Bill, the need for management and leadership skills for doctors has never been more pressing. Expecting clinicians to lead without adequate training is indeed naive1 and probably setting them up for a fall. The presence of physician leaders has recently been linked …

Smart phones may help

The publication of Greenhalgh and colleagues’ evaluation of the HealthSpace platform coincided with the release of an iPhone app that we recently developed at Imperial Academic Health Science Centre.1 The Wellnote by Dr Darzi App (available free from iTunes) lets users record their medical …

New horizons in simulation training for endoscopic surgery

In recent years there has been both a paradigm shift in the way surgery is carried out and also in the way in which we train health professionals undertaking interventional procedures. Endoscopic procedures have replaced many traditional operations and the benefits of such an approach to patient care are well documented. However, evidence exists of higher patient complications during a surgeons learning curve in endoscopic surgery, and it is now considered essential that endoscopic skills are learned in training laboratories rather than on patients. A new model of structured education, where surgical skills are practiced on models and virtual reality simulators, is set to replace the traditional apprenticeship model of training. Simulation is a rapidly evolving field that can provide a safe and increasingly realistic learning environment for trainees to practice in. This paper explores the current role of simulation in endoscopic training and provides a review of the developments in the field, including advances in simulation technology, progress in curriculum design and the use of simulation in nontechnical skills training.

Laparoscopy and Research in Surgical Oncology: Current State of the Art and Future Trends

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is the most important revolution in surgical technique since the early 1900s and is now established in every surgical discipline. The growth and continued development of MIS has largely been a result of progress in its enabling technologies. Solutions to factors that currently limit the use of MIS are being sought through the collaborative efforts of academia, medicine and industry. Progress is being made in instrument and device development, imaging technology and robotic applications. As we enter the “Bio intelligence Age,” the future of MIS will build on the work that has already been done and pursue additional technological innovations to improve surgical outcomes, advance surgical technique and decrease morbidity and mortality. This chapter will elaborate on areas of development in the field.