Surgeon preference when purchasing integrated laparoscopic theatres: a survey of British gynaecologists

Abstract
This was a web-based survey of members of the British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy to establish what features of integrated theatres are considered desirable to surgeons. A secondary aim was to assess if there are differences in preference between those surgeons who use these theatres regularly and those who have never used them. Respondents were asked to rank a list of 14 features of integrated theatres in terms of desirability with 1 being most desirable and 14 being least desirable. They were separately asked to rate each feature according to importance. The main outcome measures were the ranking and rating of each feature. In all 121/639 (18.9 %) surgeons responded, 83 (68.6 %) were male and 38 (31.4 %) were female. Ninety-two (76.0 %) were consultants and 29 (24.0 %) junior doctors. Sixty-six (54.5 %) had never used an integrated theatre, 24 (19.8 %) occasionally (one to six times/year) and 31 (25.6 %) regularly (greater than six times/year). There was significant regional variation in the usage of integrated theatres with the more affluent parts of the country (London and south of England) having a higher usage rate than more deprived areas (north of England). Some features of integrated theatres are consistently rated more highly than others. There were differences in preference between surgeons who use integrated theatres regularly and those who do not. It may be worth consulting with surgeons with experience of both purchasi...

Source: Gynecological Surgery - May 5, 2016 Category: OBGYN Source Type: research