The microsurgical training programme in Gothenburg, Sweden: early experiences.

OBJECTIVE: Microsurgical techniques are increasingly used in routine surgical practice as well as in biomedical research. The training opportunities at standardised training courses are limited, and no microsurgical training facility or programme existed in Scandinavia before 2013. METHODS: A microsurgery laboratory was set up and two different courses were started, aiming separately at biomedical researchers and surgeons. The course for biomedical researchers teaches basic microsurgical skills such as vessel isolation, cannulation, and arterial microvascular suture under magnification. The more advanced course for surgeons focuses on various techniques of microvascular and nerve anastomosis. Both courses use a combination of theory and practice, with emphasis on the practical part, the course for surgeons also includes clinically relevant information. RESULTS: Twelve 5-day courses using both non-living models and exercises on laboratory animals have been conducted and attended by 49 researchers and 44 surgeons. The organisation and the programme of the training courses as well as 'The 4E concept' behind the course (educational curriculum, equipment, ergonomy, and evaluation) are further detailed. CONCLUSIONS: We have successfully established the first training laboratory and series of microsurgical training courses in Scandinavia at two different levels. The experience from the first 12 courses shows the need for this type of structured training, and confirms that the microsurgical education curriculums needs to be adapted to participants' prerequisites and expectations, and various difficulty levels should be considered.

Benefits of mobile reporting systems in social home care: the case of seven Swedish municipalities.

OBJECTIVES: Mobile systems are widely adopted in healthcare services. Mobile reporting systems have been recently introduced for social home care by municipalities in Sweden. The study aims to assess the benefits of using these systems. METHODS: We followed an expert survey approach. Data were collected by means of telephone interviews with the experts in charge of managing and implementing the systems at the municipalities. In addition, several workshops were organized for assessing the economic value of the systems at one municipality. We performed thematic analysis and cost-benefit analysis of the data. RESULTS: The thematic analysis showed the three main benefits of using the mobile reporting systems in social home care: municipal benefits, care providers' benefits, and care recipients' benefits. The cost-benefit analysis indicated that the systems could bring substantial long-term economic value for municipalities. The results also revealed the difficulties encountered at the early stage of the deployment and implementation of the systems. CONCLUSIONS: The mobile systems yield benefits for all the actors, that is, municipalities, care recipients and care providers. These enhance the public-private coordination and cooperation in social home care in Sweden. The municipalities are called upon to address change management and technical challenges in the implementation.