A case-control study of the interaction of fetal heart rate abnormalities, fetal growth restriction, meconium in the amniotic fluid and tachysystole, in relation to the outcome of labour.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the incidence of intrapartum risk factors in labours with an adverse outcome, and compare them with the incidence of the same indicators in a series of consecutive labours without adverse outcome. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Twenty-six maternity units in the UK. POPULATION OR SAMPLE: Sixty-nine labours with an adverse outcome and 198 labours without adverse outcome. METHODS: Observational study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence of risk factors in hourly assessments for 7 hours before birth in the two groups. RESULTS: A risk score combining suspected fetal growth restriction, tachysystole, meconium in the amniotic fluid and fetal heart rate abnormalities (baseline rate and variability, presence of decelerations) gave the best indication of likely outcome group. CONCLUSIONS: Accurate risk assessment in labour requires fetal heart rate abnormalities to be considered in context with additional intrapartum risk factors.

A study of the healthcare resource use for the management of postpartum haemorrhage in France, Italy, the Netherlands, and the UK.

OBJECTIVE: Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) complicates approximately 5% of births worldwide and is a leading direct cause of maternal death. Rates of PPH are increasing in many developed countries, particularly PPH related to uterine atony. There is a lack of published up-to-date information about healthcare resource use associated with management of PPH following vaginal birth. The objective of this study was to describe healthcare resource use for the management of minor PPH (blood loss 500-1,000 ml) and major PPH (blood loss > 1,000 ml) compared to uncomplicated birth (no PPH) following hospital vaginal birth in France, Italy, the Netherlands, and the UK. STUDY DESIGN: In-depth interviews with two midwives from each participating country were conducted to establish differences in resource use for the management of minor PPH, major PPH, and uncomplicated birth. A web-survey was then developed and one obstetrician per participating country reviewed the survey. In total, 100 midwives (25 per country) completed the survey. Results were discussed at a multi-professional consensus meeting of midwives and obstetricians/gynaecologists (n = 6). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Midwives participating in the survey estimated that 80% of women receive Active Management of the Third Stage of Labour (AMTSL) and 93% of participants specified that uterotonics would routinely be used during AMTSL. Most participants (84%) reported that blood loss is routinely measured in their hospital, using a combination of methods. PPH is associated with increased healthcare resource use, including administration of additional uterotonics and use of additional medical interventions, such as urinary catheter, intravenous fluids, and possible requirement for surgery. The number of nurses, obstetricians/gynaecologists, and anaesthetists involved in the management of PPH increases with the occurrence and severity of PPH, as well as the proportion of healthcare personnel providing continuous care. Women may spend an additional 24 h in hospital following major PPH compared to uncomplicated birth. The results of this study highlight the burden of PPH management on healthcare resources. To reduce costs associated with PPH, prevention is the most effective strategy and can be enhanced with the use of an effective uterotonic as part of the active management of the third stage of labour.

Key components influencing the sustainability of a multi-professional obstetric emergencies training programme in a middle-income setting: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Multi-professional obstetric emergencies training is one promising strategy to improve maternity care. Sustaining training programmes following successful implementation remains a challenge. Understanding, and incorporating, key components within the implementation process can embed interventions within healthcare systems, thereby enhancing sustainability. This study aimed to identify key components influencing sustainability of PRactical Obstetric Multi-Professional Training (PROMPT) in the Philippines, a middle-income setting. METHODS: Three hospitals were purposively sampled to represent private, public and teaching hospital settings. Two focus groups, one comprising local trainers and one comprising training participants, were conducted in each hospital using a semi-structured topic guide. Focus groups were audio recorded. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Three researchers independently coded transcripts to ensure interpretation consistency. RESULTS: Three themes influencing sustainability were identified; attributes of local champions, multi-level organisational involvement and addressing organisational challenges. CONCLUSIONS: These themes, including potential barriers to sustainability, should be considered when designing and implementing training programmes in middle-income settings. When 'scaling-up', local clinicians should be actively involved in selecting influential implementation champions to identify challenges and strategies specific to their organisation. Network meetings could enable shared learning and sustain enthusiasm amongst local training teams. Policy makers should be engaged early, to support funding and align training with national priorities.

Intramuscular oxytocin versus oxytocin/ergometrine versus carbetocin for prevention of primary postpartum haemorrhage after vaginal birth: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial (the IMox study).

BACKGROUND: Postpartum haemorrhage remains a major cause of maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide. Active management of the third stage of labour reduces the risk of postpartum haemorrhage. Oxytocin and oxytocin/ergometrine are commonly used in the UK, with oxytocin/ergometrine being more effective at preventing moderate, but not severe, blood loss. Many guidelines specifically recommend using oxytocin for all vaginal births, as it is associated with fewer adverse events. However, a survey conducted by the Southmead Hospital Maternity Research Team revealed that 71.4% of UK obstetric units still routinely use oxytocin/ergometrine. Carbetocin is a newer medication that may be as effective but has fewer side effects. No studies have directly compared all three medications. METHODS: The IMox study aims to determine the most effective, acceptable and cost-effective drug for primary prevention of postpartum haemorrhage following vaginal birth. The IMox study is a prospective, multi-centre, double-blind, randomised trial directly comparing oxytocin, oxytocin/ergometrine and carbetocin given intramuscularly for the prevention of postpartum haemorrhage in the third stage of labour. The primary effectiveness outcome is the use of an additional uterotonic drug. Secondary effectiveness outcomes reflect maternal morbidity and mortality within the immediate postpartum period. Participant questionnaires and subjective reporting of side effects will be used to evaluate maternal acceptability. Maternal quality of life utilities will be collected antenatally, and on days 1 and 14 after birth to enable a cost-effectiveness assessment of each studied drug. Participants will be pregnant women planning a vaginal birth in six hospitals in England. Participants will be approached and invited to provide consent to participate from 20 weeks gestation until in established labour. A complete sample of 5712 participants (1904 per arm) providing data for the primary outcome will allow for a robust determination of efficacy between all three study drugs. Data will be collected until participants are discharged from the hospital and on postnatal days 1 and 14 regardless of location. All analyses will be on a modified intention-to-treat basis, and additionally repeated on a per protocol basis. Data collection commenced in Feburary 2015 and was completed in August 2018. DISCUSSION: This study is the first to directly compare oxytocin, oxytocin/ergometrine and carbetocin in the same population for the prevention of postpartum haemorrhage following vaginal birth. Furthermore, this study will be the first to directly compute health economic outcomes from such a three-way comparison. This study is limited to using short-term outcomes, and so will not provide evidence for important outcomes such as long-term maternal psychological well-being and time to next conception. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02216383 . Registered on 18 August 2014. EudraCT, 2014-001948-37. Registered on 23 September 2014. ISRCTN, ISRCTN10232550. Retrospectively registered on 6 March 2018).

Patients and hospital managers want laparoscopic simulation training to become mandatory before live operating: a multicentre qualitative study of stakeholder perceptions.

Background: Surgical procedures are complex and susceptible to human error. Individual surgical skill correlates with improved patient outcomes demonstrating that surgical proficiency is vitally important for patient safety. Evidence demonstrates that simulation training improves laparoscopic surgical skills; however, projects to implement and integrate laparoscopic simulation into core surgical curricula have had varied success. One barrier to successful implementation has been the lack of awareness and prioritisation of simulation initiatives by key stakeholders. Objective: To determine the knowledge and perceptions of patients and hospital managers on laparoscopic surgery and simulation training in patient safety and healthcare. Method: A qualitative study was conducted in the Southwest of England. 40 semistructured interviews were undertaken with patients attending general gynaecology clinics and general surgical and gynaecology hospital managers. Results: Six key themes identified included: positive expectations of laparoscopic surgery; perceptions of problems and financial implications of laparoscopic surgery; lack of awareness of difficulties with surgical training; desire for laparoscopic simulation training and competency testing for patient benefit; conflicting priorities of laparoscopic simulation in healthcare; and drawbacks of surgical simulation training. Patients and managers were largely unaware of the risks of laparoscopic surgery and challenges for training. Managers highlighted conflicting financial priorities when purchasing educational equipment. Patients stated that they would have greater confidence in a surgeon who had undertaken mandatory surgical simulation training and perceived purchasing simulation equipment to be a high priority in the National Health Services. Most patients and hospital managers believed trainees should pass an examination on a simulator prior to live operating. Conclusions: Competency-based mandatory laparoscopic simulation was strongly supported by the majority of stakeholders to augment the initial learning curve of surgeons.

Skills training for operative vaginal birth.

Skilled, safe operative vaginal birth can substantially improve maternal and neonatal outcomes arising from complications in the second stage of labour and should be available in a diverse range of maternity settings for women across the world. Operative vaginal births are complex, requiring a combination of good technical skills, non-technical skills as well as sensitivity from the accoucher. It is axiomatic that accouchers should be adequately trained and simulation-based training is a promising strategy to improve outcomes and increase the rates of operative vaginal birth. However, not all training is effective and although there are likely to be important lessons from other areas of simulation-based obstetric emergencies training that are generalisable, more research is required to identify effective training interventions for operative vaginal birth. Training for operative vaginal birth should also be operationalised for maximum spread and benefit.

Associations between birth at, or after, 41 weeks gestation and perinatal encephalopathy: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Preterm birth causes long-term problems, even for infants born 1 or 2 weeks early. However, less is known about infants born after their due date and over a quarter of infants are born over 1 week late, and many still remain undelivered after 2 weeks. The aim of this work is to quantify the risks of infants developing encephalopathy when birth occurs after the due date, and if other proposed risk factors modify this relationship. METHODS: The dataset contain information on 4 036 346 infants born in Sweden between 1973 and 2012. Exposure was defined as birth 7, or more, days after the infants' due date. The primary outcome was the development of neonatal encephalopathy (defined as seizures, encephalopathy or brain injury caused by asphyxia or with unspecified cause). Covariates were selected as presumed confounders a priori. RESULTS: 28.4% infants were born 1 or more weeks after their due date. An infant's risk of being born with encephalopathy was higher in the post 41 weeks group in the unadjusted (OR 1.40 (95% CI 1.32 to 1.49)) and final model (OR 1.38 (95% CI 1.29 to 1.47)), with the relative odds of encephalopathy increasing by an estimated 20% per week after the due date, and modified by maternal age (P=0.022). CONCLUSIONS: Singleton infants born at, or after, 41 weeks gestation have lower Apgar scores and higher risk of developing encephalopathy in the newborn period, and the association appeared more marked in older mothers. These data could be useful if provided to women as part of their decision-making.

A rapid cycle method for local adaptation of an obstetric emergencies training program.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the adaptation of an obstetric emergencies training program to align with local clinical practice. METHODS: A feasibility study was conducted to investigate the potential implementation of the PRactical Obstetric Multi-Professional Training (PROMPT) program at eight urban tertiary hospitals in the Philippines. Multi-professional teams attended a 2-day course on September 23 and 24, 2015, that comprised a demonstration PROMPT course (day 1) and a Train-the-Trainers session (day 2). During a facilitated adaptation session, each team reviewed the PROMPT algorithms for eclampsia, severe pre-eclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage and sepsis. The teams marked steps concordant with local practice and identified differences with local practice. Suggested amendments were reviewed by the PROMPT project team, using clinical guidelines to support any adaptations. RESULTS: The PROMPT algorithm for initial management of eclampsia was used as an exemplar. Five of the nine management steps were concordant with local practice: support; airway; breathing; circulation; and control seizures. Amendments were successfully implemented for the following steps: call for help; magnesium sulfate loading dose; and magnesium sulfate maintenance dose. CONCLUSION: Rapid and efficient adaptation of PROMPT training materials for use in the Philippines was possible using a facilitated and focused approach, utilizing the expertise of a representative mix of local healthcare professionals and evidence-based guidelines.

Associations between early term and late/post term infants and development of epilepsy: A cohort study.

BACKGROUND: While life-long impacts exist for infants born one or two weeks early little evidence exists for those infants born after their due date. However interventions could be used to expedite birth if the risks of continuing the pregnancy are higher than intervening. It is known that the risk of epilepsy in childhood is higher in infants exposed to perinatal compromise and therefore may be useful as a proxy for intrapartum compromise. The aim of this work is to quantify the likelihood of children developing epilepsy based on their gestational age at birth (37-39 weeks or ≥41 weeks). METHODS: The work is based on term infants born in Sweden between 1983 and 1993 (n = 1,030,168), linked to data on disability pension, child mortality and in-patient epilepsy care. The reference group was defined as infants born at 39 or 40 completed weeks of gestation; compared with infants born at early term (37/38 weeks) or late/post term (41 weeks or more). Primary outcome was defined a-priori as a diagnosis of epilepsy before 20 years of age. Secondary outcomes were childhood mortality (before five years of age), and registered for disability pension before 20 years of age. Logistic regression models were used to assess any association of the outcomes with gestational age at birth. FINDINGS: In the unadjusted results, infants born 7 or more days after their due date had higher risks of epilepsy and disability pension than the reference group, but similar risks of child death. Early term infants showed higher risks of epilepsy, disability pension and child death. After adjustment for confounders, there remained a higher risk of epilepsy for both early term (OR 1·19 (1·11-1·29)) and late/post term infants (OR 1·13 (1·06-1·22)). INTERPRETATION: Infants born at 37/38 week or 41 weeks and above, when compared to those born at 39 or 40 weeks gestation, have an increased risk of developing epilepsy. This data could be useful in helping women and care givers make decisions with regard to the timing of induction of labour.

The cost of local, multi-professional obstetric emergencies training.

INTRODUCTION: We aim to outline the annual cost of setting up and running a standard, local, multi-professional obstetric emergencies training course, PROMPT (PRactical Obstetric Multi-Professional Training), at Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK - a unit caring for approximately 6500 births per year. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective, micro-costing analysis was performed. Start-up costs included purchasing training mannequins and teaching props, printing of training materials and assembly of emergency boxes (real and training). The variable costs included administration time, room hire, additional printing and the cost of releasing all maternity staff in the unit, either as attendees or trainers. Potential, extra start-up costs for maternity units without established training were also included. RESULTS: The start-up costs were €5574 and the variable costs for 1 year were €143 232. The total cost of establishing and running training at Southmead for 1 year was €148 806. Releasing staff as attendees or trainers accounted for 89% of the total first year costs, and 92% of the variable costs. The cost of running training in a maternity unit with around 6500 births per year was approximately €23 000 per 1000 births for the first year and around €22 000 per 1000 births in subsequent years. CONCLUSIONS: The cost of local, multi-professional obstetric emergencies training is not cheap, with staff costs potentially representing over 90% of the total expenditure. It is therefore vital that organizations consider the clinical effectiveness of local training packages before implementing them, to ensure the optimal allocation of finite healthcare budgets.

Identifying Deteriorating Patients Through Multidisciplinary Team Training.

Multidisciplinary training has improved maternity outcomes when the training has been well attended, regular, in house, used high-fidelity simulators, and integrated teamwork training. If these principles were used in other settings, better clinical care may result. This before-after study sought to establish whether a short multidisciplinary training intervention can improve recognition of the deteriorating patient using an aggregated physiological parameter scoring system (Early Warning Score [EWS]). Nursing, medical, and allied nursing staff participated in an hour-long training session, using real-life scenarios with simple tools and structured debriefing. After training, staff were more likely to calculate EWS scores correctly (68.02% vs 55.12%; risk ratio [RR] = 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.07-1.44), and observations were more likely to be performed at the correct frequency (78.57% vs 68.09%; RR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.09-1.32). Multidisciplinary training, according to core principles, can lead to more accurate identification of deteriorating patients, with implications for subsequent care and outcome.

Laparoscopic simulation training in gynaecology: Current provision and staff attitudes - a cross-sectional survey.

The objectives of this study were to explore current provision of laparoscopic simulation training, and to determine attitudes of trainers and trainees to the role of simulators in surgical training across the UK. An anonymous cross-sectional survey with cluster sampling was developed and circulated. All Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) Training Programme Directors (TPD), College Tutors (RCT) and Trainee representatives (TR) across the UK were invited to participate. One hundred and ninety-six obstetricians and gynaecologists participated. Sixty-three percent of hospitals had at least one box trainer, and 14.6% had least one virtual-reality simulator. Only 9.3% and 3.6% stated that trainees used a structured curriculum on box and virtual-reality simulators, respectively. Respondents working in a Large/Teaching hospital (p = 0.008) were more likely to agree that simulators enhance surgical training. Eighty-nine percent agreed that simulators improve the quality of training, and should be mandatory or desirable for junior trainees. Consultants (p = 0.003) and respondents over 40 years (p = 0.011) were more likely to hold that a simulation test should be undertaken before live operation. Our data demonstrated, therefore, that availability of laparoscopic simulators is inconsistent, with limited use of mandatory structured curricula. In contrast, both trainers and trainees recognise a need for greater use of laparoscopic simulation for surgical training.

Myths and realities of training in obstetric emergencies.

Training for intrapartum emergencies is a promising strategy to reduce preventable harm during birth; however, not all training is clinically effective. Many myths have developed around such training. These principally derive from misinformed beliefs that all training must be effective, cheap, independent of context and sustainable. The current evidence base for effective training supports local, unit-based and multi-professional training, with appropriate mannequins, and practice-based tools to support the best care. Training programmes based on these principles are associated with improved clinical outcomes, but we need to understand how and why that is, and also why some training is associated with no improvements, or even deterioration in outcomes. Effective training is not cheap, but it can be cost-effective. Insurers have the fiscal power to incentivise training, but they should demand the evidence of clinical effect; aspiration and proxies alone should no longer be sufficient for funding, in any resource setting.

Measuring quality of maternity care.

Health-care organisations are required to monitor and measure the quality of their maternity services, but measuring quality is complex, and no universal consensus exists on how best to measure it. Clinical outcomes and process measures that are important to stakeholders should be measured, ideally in standardised sets for benchmarking. Furthermore, a holistic interpretation of quality should also reflect patient experience, ideally integrated with outcome and process measures, into a balanced suite of quality indicators. Dashboards enable reporting of trends in adverse outcomes to stakeholders, staff and patients, and they facilitate targeted quality improvement initiatives. The value of such dashboards is dependent upon high-quality, routinely collected data, subject to robust statistical analysis. Moving forward, we could and should collect a standard, relevant set of quality indicators, from routinely collected data, and present these in a manner that facilitates ongoing quality improvement, both locally and at regional/national levels.

Modified obstetric early warning scoring systems (MOEWS): validating the diagnostic performance for severe sepsis in women with chorioamnionitis.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to compare the predictive power of published modified obstetric early warning scoring systems (MOEWS) for the development of severe sepsis in women with chorioamnionitis. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study using prospectively collected clinical observations at a single tertiary unit (Chicago, IL). Hospital databases and patient records were searched to identify and verify cases with clinically diagnosed chorioamnionitis during the study period (June 2006 through November 2007). Vital sign data (heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, temperature, mental state) for these cases were extracted from an electronic database and the single worst composite recording was identified for analysis. Global literature databases were searched (2014) to identify examples of MOEWS. Scores for each identified MOEWS were derived from each set of vital sign recordings during the presentation with chorioamnionitis. The performance of these MOEWS (the primary outcome) was then analyzed and compared using their sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and receiver-operating characteristic curve for severe sepsis. RESULTS: Six MOEWS were identified. There was wide variation in design and pathophysiological thresholds used for clinical alerts. In all, 913 women with chorioamnionitis were identified from the clinical database. In all, 364 cases with complete data for all physiological indicators were included in analysis. Five women developed severe sepsis, including 1 woman who died. The sensitivities of the MOEWS in predicting the severe deterioration ranged from 40-100% and the specificities varied even more ranging from 4-97%. The positive predictive values were low for all MOEWS ranging from <2-15%. The MOEWS with simpler designs tended to be more sensitive, whereas the more complex MOEWS were more specific, but failed to identify some of the women who developed severe sepsis. CONCLUSION: Currently used MOEWS vary widely in terms of alert thresholds, format, and accuracy. Most MOEWS have not been validated. The MOEWS generally performed poorly in predicting severe sepsis in obstetric patients; in general severe sepsis was overdetected. Simple MOEWS with high sensitivity followed with more specific secondary testing is likely to be the best way forward. Further research is required to develop early warning systems for use in this setting.

Curriculum development for basic gynaecological laparoscopy with comparison of expert trainee opinions; prospective cross-sectional observational study.

OBJECTIVE: To develop content for a basic laparoscopic curriculum in gynaecology. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cross-sectional observational study. Modified Delphi method with three iterations undertaken by an invited group of national experts across the United Kingdom (UK). Two anonymous online surveys and a final physical group meeting were undertaken. Junior trainees in gynaecology undertook a parallel iteration of the Delphi process for external validation. Population included: expert panel - certified specialists in minimal-access gynaecological surgery, RCOG national senior trainee representatives, and medical educationalists, junior trainees group - regional trainees in gynaecology in first and second year of speciality training. RESULTS: Experts (n=37) reached fair to almost complete significant agreement (κ=0.100-0.8159; p<0.05) on eight out of nine questions by the second iteration. Trainees (n=19) agreed with the experts on 89% (51/57) of categories to be included in the curriculum. Findings indicated that 39 categories should be included in the curriculum. Port placement, laparoscopic equipment and patient selection were ranked the most important theoretical categories. Hand-eye co-ordination, camera navigation and entry techniques were deemed the most valuable skills. Diagnostic laparoscopy, laparoscopic sterilisation, and laparoscopic salpingectomy were the operations agreed to be most important for inclusion. Simulation training was agreed as the method of skill development. The expert panel favoured box trainers, whereas the junior trainee group preferred virtual reality simulators. A basic simulation laparoscopic hand-eye co-ordination test was proposed as a final assessment of competence in the curriculum. CONCLUSION: Consensus was achieved on the content of a basic laparoscopic curriculum in gynaecology, in a cost- and time-effective, scientific process. The Delphi method provided a simple, structured consumer approach to curriculum development that combined views of trainers and trainees that could be used to develop curricula in other areas of post-graduate education.

Using data and quality monitoring to enhance maternity outcomes: a qualitative study of risk managers' perspectives.

INTRODUCTION: Risk management is a core part of healthcare practice, especially within maternity services, where litigation and societal costs are high. There has been little investigation into the experiences and opinions of those staff directly involved in risk management: lead obstetricians and specialist risk midwives, who are ideally placed to identify how current implementation of risk management strategies can be improved. METHODS: A qualitative study of consultant-led maternity units in an English region. Semistructured interviews were conducted with the obstetric and midwifery risk management leads for each unit. We explored their approach to risk management, particularly their opinions regarding quality monitoring and related barriers/issues. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. RESULTS: Twenty-seven staff from 12/15 maternity units participated. Key issues identified included: concern for the accuracy and validity of their local data, potential difficulties related to data collation, the negative impact of external interference by national regulatory bodies on local clinical priorities, the influence of the local culture of the maternity unit on levels of engagement in the risk management process, and scepticism about the value of benchmarking of maternity units without adjustment for population characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Local maternity risk managers may provide valuable, clinically relevant insights into current issues in clinical data monitoring. Improvements should focus on the accuracy and ease of data collation with a need for an agreed maternity indicators set, populated from validated databases, and not reliant on data collection systems that distract clinicians from patient activity and quality improvement. It is clear that working relationships between risk managers, their own clinical teams and external national bodies require improvement and alignment. Further discussion regarding benchmarking between maternity units is required prior to implementation. These findings are likely to be relevant to other clinical specialties.

What makes maternity teams effective and safe? Lessons from a series of research on teamwork, leadership and team training.

We describe lessons for safety from a synthesis of seven studies of teamwork, leadership and team training across a healthcare region. Two studies identified successes and challenges in a unit with embedded team training: a staff survey demonstrated a positive culture but a perceived need for greater senior presence; training improved actual emergency care, but wide variation in team performance remained. Analysis of multicenter simulation records showed that variation in patient safety and team efficiency correlated with their teamwork but not individual knowledge, skills or attitudes. Safe teams tended to declare the emergency earlier, hand over in a more structured way, and use closed-loop communication. Focused and directed communication was also associated with better patient-actor perception of care. Focus groups corroborated these findings, proposed that the capability and experience of the leader is more important than seniority, and identified teamwork and leadership issues that require further research.

Implementation of laparoscopic virtual-reality simulation training in gynaecology: a mixed-methods design.

OBJECTIVES: Virtual-reality (VR) training has been demonstrated to improve laparoscopic surgical skills in the operating theatre. The incorporation of laparoscopic VR simulation into surgical training in gynaecology remains a significant educational challenge. We undertook a pilot study to assess the feasibility of the implementation of a laparoscopic VR simulation programme into a single unit. STUDY DESIGN: An observational study with qualitative analysis of semi-structured group interviews. Trainees in gynaecology (n=9) were scheduled to undertake a pre-validated structured training programme on a laparoscopic VR simulator (LapSim(®)) over six months. The main outcome measure was the trainees' progress through the training modules in six months. Trainees' perceptions of the feasibility and barriers to the implementation of laparoscopic VR training were assessed in focus groups after training. RESULTS: Sixty-six percent of participants completed six of ten modules. Overall, feedback from the focus groups was positive; trainees felt training improved their dexterity, hand-eye co-ordination and confidence in theatre. Negative aspects included lack of haptic feedback, and facility for laparoscopic port placement training. Time restriction emerged as the main barrier to training. CONCLUSIONS: Despite positive perceptions of training, no trainee completed more than two-thirds of the modules of a self-directed laparoscopic VR training programme. Suggested improvements to the integration of future laparoscopic VR training include an additional theoretical component with a fuller understanding of benefits of VR training, and scheduled supervision. Ultimately, the success of a laparoscopic VR simulation training programme might only be improved if it is a mandatory component of the curriculum, together with dedicated time for training. Future multi-centred implementation studies of validated laparoscopic VR curricula are required.