Surgical Missions

Ginwalla, Rashna; Rickard, Jennifer

doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2014.2262

Cited by 25 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Though this model provided care to thousands of patients in need, early surgical missions were met with a wide range of criticisms. Termed ''humanitarian colonialism,'' surgical missions were criticized for poor patient follow-up, limited local engagement, low cost effectiveness, and a paternalistic approach [15][16][17]. Due to these concerns, many organizations adapted their traditional mission model to improve on prior flaws primarily through increased engagement with local health care providers [18][19][20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Local Mission: Improving Access to Surgical Care in Middle‐Income Countries

et al. 2021

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Background Billions of people lack access to quality surgical care. Short-term missions are used to supplement the delivery of surgical care in regions with poor access to care. Traditionally known for using international teams, Operation Smile has transitioned to using a local mission model, where surgical service is delivered to areas of need by teams originating within that country. This study investigates the proportion and location of Operation Smile missions that use the local mission model. Methods A retrospective review was performed of the Operation Smile mission database for fiscal years 2014 to 2019. Missions were classified into local or international missions. Countries were also classified by their income levels as well as their specialist surgical workforce (SAO) density. As no individual patient or provider data was recorded, ethics board approval was not warranted. Results Between 2014 and 2019, Operation Smile held an average of 144.8 (range 135–154) surgical missions per year. Local missions accounted for 97 ± 5.6 (67%) of the missions. Of the 34 program countries, 26 (76%) used local missions. Of the countries that had only international missions, six (75%) were low-income countries and the average SAO density was 1.54 (range 0.19–5.88) providers per 100,000 people. Of the countries with local missions, 24 (92%) were middle-income, and the average SAO density was 30.9 (range 3.4–142.4). Conclusion International investments may assist in the creation of local surgical teams. Once teams are established, local missions are a valuable way to provide specialized surgical care within a country’s own borders.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Local Mission: Improving Access to Surgical Care in Middle‐Income Countries

et al. 2021

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“…For example, there have been concerns that local operations are postponed to accommodate surgical outreach activities. 10 Moreover, local surgeons commonly desire continuing medical education to provide for the needs of their communities. 11 In response, there has been a transformation from short-term surgical outreach focusing on high-throughput surgery to trips based in education.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Education during Surgical Outreach Trips in Vietnam: A Qualitative Study of Surgeon Learners

Billig

Nasser²,

Chung

et al. 2020

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery - Global Open

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Background: Visiting educator trips teach surgical care in low-resource settings to develop sustainable global surgery. Surgery has been integral in these volunteer activities, but it is unknown whether surgeon learners receive suitable education during these trips. We sought to describe the educational experiences of surgeon learners during a visiting educator trip to better understand the perceptions of surgical outreach education. Methods: We conducted semistructured interviews of 18 surgeon learners participating in a visiting educator trip to 2 hospitals in Thai Nguyen, Vietnam. Each interview was conducted in Vietnamese, translated into English, and transcribed. Narratives were content coded using thematic analyses. Results: We identified 3 main themes. First, participants noted the value in surgical outreach and believed that these trips provided a thorough understanding of surgical care from patient evaluation to complications management. Second, participants described key barriers to education. Participants desired to focus on “learning one topic in depth” rather than learning in breadth. Furthermore, they described the paucity of translated resources, a lack of English proficiency, and rudimentary translator services. Finally, participants provided substantive guidance in improving surgical outreach education, specifically regarding the limited nature of current international partnerships to foster long-term, sustainable relationships. Conclusions: Although Vietnamese surgeon learners felt that visiting educator trips were beneficial, they recognized important areas for improvement. The language barrier was a major impediment to effective learning with materials and lectures commonly provided in English, highlighting the need for improved language concordance. Additionally, participants desired continued relationships with the visiting surgeons to build long-term collaboration.

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“…However, nearly a third could only commit a week or less to these activities. Short‐term trips, if uncoordinated, can be disruptive [10]. It is therefore important to determine how best to coordinate volunteer efforts, to build sustainable surgical systems and empower local surgeons.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

American College of Surgeons Member Involvement in Global Surgery: Results from the 2015 Operation Giving Back Survey

et al. 2018

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Background Five billion people worldwide lack access to safe surgery. American College of Surgeons (ACS) members have a strong history of humanitarian and volunteer work. Since its founding in 2004, Operation Giving Back (OGB) has served as a volunteer resource portal. This study sought to understand current activities, needs, and barriers to ACS member volunteerism, and to re-assess the role of OGB. Methods A 25-question electronic survey was sent to ACS members in August 2015. Utilizing branching logic, those who were involved or interested in volunteerism completed the full survey. Data were assessed using univariable analysis methods. Results Three percent (n = 1764) of those e-mailed answered the survey. Respondents were mostly men (82%), C50 years of age (61%), and general surgeons (70%). Fifty-three percent (n = 937) reported current or past volunteer activities, and 76.5% (n = 1349) were interested in activities within three years. Approximately 84% were interested in international volunteerism and 55% in domestic volunteerism. Few (5.7%) had both training and experience in emergency and disaster response, and only 17% had institutional salary support. Eighty-two percent wished to work with OGB, and 418 indicated organizations with whom they are involved could benefit from OGB collaboration. Conclusions Interest in surgical volunteerism among ACS member survey respondents is high. OGB has the opportunity to meet member needs by developing programmatic activities, identifying volunteer prospects, facilitating multi-institutional consortia, and leading pre-deployment training. By maximizing volunteer efforts, OGB has the potential to foster sustainable and scalable ethical practices to improve basic access to surgical care globally.

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Surgical Missions

Cited by 25 publications

References 5 publications

The Local Mission: Improving Access to Surgical Care in Middle‐Income Countries

The Local Mission: Improving Access to Surgical Care in Middle‐Income Countries

Education during Surgical Outreach Trips in Vietnam: A Qualitative Study of Surgeon Learners

American College of Surgeons Member Involvement in Global Surgery: Results from the 2015 Operation Giving Back Survey

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