Targeted Needs Assessment for Developing a Robotic Surgery Training Curriculum for Acute Care Surgery Fellows: A Mixed-Methods Analysis.

Abstract

Despite the recent introduction of robotic surgery in acute care surgery (ACS), a structured training curriculum tailored for fellows remains to be established. We aimed to identify the specific needs and ideal structure of the robotic training curriculum during ACS fellowship. This study used a mixed-methods design using semistructured interviews and web-based surveys targeting the current ACS or surgical critical care fellows. The interviews focused on robotic training needs and future career plans. Interview responses were thematically analyzed using an inductive approach. A total of 17 fellows from 4 trauma centers were enrolled. All of them had experience with robotic surgery before the fellowship, with 47.1% having more than 40 cases as bedside assistances during residency, while 58.8% had 21 to 40 console surgeon cases. Most fellows (70.6%) plan to perform elective surgeries in their practice. All believe that robotic surgery will be a valuable addition to an ACS surgeon's portfolio, particularly for future job prospects and comfortability in elective or emergency general surgery. Qualitative analysis identified 3 major themes: training modalities for curriculum frameworks (prefellowship preparation, on-the-job learning, easy access to trainers or simulator, and value of different modules), barriers (resident priority, limited robotic cases, teaching consoles, dedicated robotic operating rooms or teams, limited mentorship, difficulty balancing trauma, surgical critical care, or emergency general surgery duties), and benefits (skill degradation prevention, resident education and teaching skills, career marketability, and surgeon ergonomics). Current fellows expressed varying levels of need in robotic surgery training based on their residency experiences and career goals. Individualized robotic training opportunities tailored to specific needs are essential for developing a formal robotic curriculum during ACS fellowship.