Time-based metrics dominate robot-assisted learning curve assessment, and recovery and safety metrics show substantially longer learning curves than operating time¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r3 · q2
Currency · newest study 2020 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Time-based metrics were the most commonly reported learning curve variables, used by 42 of 49 studies (86 per cent), while length of stay, morbidity and mortality, and procedure-specific metrics were reported less commonly. → Soomro N. A. 2020 q2 i? For a given procedure, recovery and safety metrics (length of stay, complications) exhibit substantially longer learning curves than operating time, often with continued improvement after the operating-time curve is overcome. → Soomro N. A. 2020 (2)

Evidence¶

Soomro N. A. 2020¶

Soomro N. A., Hashimoto D. A., Porteous A. J., Ridley C. J. A., Marsh W. J., Ditto R. and Roy S. (2020). Systematic review of learning curves in robot‐assisted surgery. BJS Open. https://doi.org/10.1002/bjs5.50235

q2 · i? · review · r3

Review synthesis of metrics across the 49 included patient-data studies; the review reports time-based metrics in "42 of the 49 studies (86 per cent)", with duration of surgery, length of stay and complication rate most frequent within categories.

"Time‐based metrics were the most commonly reported variables used to assess the learning curve, reported by 42 of the 49 studies (86 per cent)."

Soomro N. A. 2020 (2)¶

Soomro N. A., Hashimoto D. A., Porteous A. J., Ridley C. J. A., Marsh W. J., Ditto R. and Roy S. (2020). Systematic review of learning curves in robot‐assisted surgery. BJS Open. https://doi.org/10.1002/bjs5.50235

q2 · i? · review · r3

The review's discussion of metric-dependent learning curve profiles, illustrated by within-study comparisons: one study required more than 170 additional patients to overcome the length-of-stay curve than the operating-time curve. The review questions the value of operating-time-only comparisons.

"recovery and safety metrics (LOS, complications) exhibiting substantially longer learning curves than those for operating time, often with continued improvement for extended periods of time after the learning curve for operating time has been overcome"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Methods and terminology used to define the point at which the robot-assisted learning curve is overcome are inconsistent and often lack statistical validation
• Surgeons' previous experience and participation in structured training programmes are associated with shorter robot-assisted learning curves — related
• Learning curve estimates in robot-assisted surgery vary substantially between studies of the same procedure and are subject to considerable uncertainty — related