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Surgical Performance Under Stress: Conceptual and Methodological Issues

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Key Topics in Surgical Research and Methodology

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Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of surgical performance under stressful conditions, often present in the operating room (OR). We begin with an overview of models and theories of stress and their relationship to human performance. We then present the current state of the art in the measurement of stress in the context of surgery and measures of surgical performance. Finally, we summarise evidence on the impact of stress on performance in the OR. We conclude with a discussion on the implications of the existing evidence based on surgical stress for the training of junior surgeons and propose directions for future empirical research.

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Acknowledgments

This chapter is based on an ongoing research programme on safety implications of surgical stressors that is being carried out by our research group. Dr. Roger L. Kneebone has had an instrumental role in the shaping and development of this work over a number of years.

The authors would like to thank the BUPA Foundation and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Centre for Economic Learning and Social Evolution for providing funding for the work reported in this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biosurgery and Surgical Technology, Imperial College London, 10th floor QEQM, St. Mary’s Hospital, South Wharf road, London, W2 1NY, UK

    Sonal Arora

  2. National Institute for Health Research, Imperial Centre for Patient Safety and Service Quality, Imperial College London, London, and Clinical Safety Research Unit, The Department of Biosurgery and Surgical Technology, Imperial College London, London, UK

    Nick Sevdalis

Authors
  1. Sonal Arora
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  2. Nick Sevdalis
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Biosurgery & Surgical Technology, Imperial College London St. Mary's Hospital London, 10th floor QEQM Bldg. Praed Street, London, W2 1NY, United Kingdom

    Thanos Athanasiou  & Ara Darzi  & 

  2. UCSF Global Health Sciences, 3333 California Street, Suite 285, San Francisco L, CA, 94143-0443, USA

    Haile Debas

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Arora, S., Sevdalis, N. (2010). Surgical Performance Under Stress: Conceptual and Methodological Issues. In: Athanasiou, T., Debas, H., Darzi, A. (eds) Key Topics in Surgical Research and Methodology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-71915-1_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-71915-1_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-71914-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-71915-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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