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Electromagnetic motion analysis in the assessment of surgical skill: Relationship between time and movement
Author(s) -
Mackay Sean,
Datta Vivek,
Mandalia Mirren,
Bassett Paul,
Darzi Ara
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
anz journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.426
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-2197
pISSN - 1445-1433
DOI - 10.1046/j.1445-2197.2002.02511.x
Subject(s) - movement (music) , medicine , task (project management) , physical medicine and rehabilitation , motion (physics) , motion analysis , physical therapy , computer science , artificial intelligence , philosophy , management , economics , aesthetics
Electromagnetic motion analysis is a promising method of assessing surgical skill in a skills‐laboratory setting. There is a very strong correlation between movement and time data, and this study was conducted to determine whether this relationship is fixed, or whether it can vary.Methods: After a pilot study, four subjects were recruited. Each performed 30 trials of a simple standardized suturing task, alternating between ‘normal’, ‘precise’, and ‘fast’ strategies. The number of movements, and time to complete each task were recorded.Results: Comparing the ‘fast’ to ‘normal’ strategies, there was a significant decrease in total number of movements per trial ( P < 0.001), and time taken ( P < 0.001). Regression analysis was performed to examine the relationship between the time taken and the number of movements, and revealed significant differences between both the fast ( P = 0.006), and precise ( P = 0.002) strategies, when compared to the normal strategy.Discussion: This study confirms that the relationship between time and movements is not fixed, but varies with the operative strategy adopted for this simple suturing task.