A comprehensive review of telementoring applications in laparoscopic general surgery

Abstract

Current evidence supports the feasibility and safety of telementoring programs in general surgery. Their clinical effectiveness as teaching alternatives to traditional mentoring programs remains to be further evaluated.

Safe Introduction of Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery Even in Remote Areas of the World: The Value of a Comprehensive Telementoring Training Program

“…A recent development in telecommunications allowed the application of H.323, which adheres to the recommended protocols for providing audiovisual communication sessions on any packet network. 21 The H.323 standard addresses call signaling, multimedia transport, and bandwidth control for point-to-point and multipoint conferences.…”

“…1 Whereas conferences and hands-on courses provide a useful introduction, most novice laparoscopic surgeons need more direct supervision in the form of mentoring to adopt these techniques safely and to minimize the risk of serious complications during their learning curve. Mentoring has been shown to be an effective teaching strategy for helping novice surgeons to adopt new surgical techniques.…”

Telemedicine in Surgery: What are the Opportunities and Hurdles to Realising the Potential?

“…Often, the only training options available are hands-oncourses, surgical fellowships and mentoring programmes either in house or involving site visits [22]. Hands-on-training and mentoring remain the most effective tools for learning.…”

Telementoring in education of laparoscopic surgeons: An emerging technology

“…Whereas annual costs for equipment maintenance and broadband services hosting reach approximately 15000 USD [26] . Therefore installation of a telementoring system exclusively for the incorporation of advanced laparoscopic procedures within the setting of a community hospital seems rather unjustified [26] . Evidence exists for cost-effectiveness [27] and safety [28] of telementoring systems, yet there is insufficient data on educational outcomes.…”

“…Matters such as medical liability require a legal framework that would clarify the responsibilities of each part as well as the reliability of the telementoring systems and their integration in routine use. Due to the medical qualifications and licensing in different countries often not being mutually recognized, telementoring projects are currently restricted to national borders [26] . The issue of patient privacy also represents a significant concern and presents a challenge for clinical implementation of telementoring projects.…”