Dataset Information

Proposed definition of competencies for surgical neuro-oncology training.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

The aim of this work is to define competencies and entrustable professional activities (EPAs) to be imparted within the framework of surgical neuro-oncological residency and fellowship training as well as the education of medical students. Improved and specific training in surgical neuro-oncology promotes neuro-oncological expertise, quality of surgical neuro-oncological treatment and may also contribute to further development of neuro-oncological techniques and treatment protocols. Specific curricula for a surgical neuro-oncologic education have not yet been established.

Methods

We used a consensus-building approach to propose skills, competencies and EPAs to be imparted within the framework of surgical neuro-oncological training. We developed competencies and EPAs suitable for training in surgical neuro-oncology.

Result

In total, 70 competencies and 8 EPAs for training in surgical neuro-oncology were proposed. EPAs were defined for the management of the deteriorating patient, the management of patients with the diagnosis of a brain tumour, tumour-based resections, function-based surgical resections of brain tumours, the postoperative management of patients, the collaboration as a member of an interdisciplinary and/or -professional team and finally for the care of palliative and dying patients and their families.

Conclusions and relevance

The present work should subsequently initiate a discussion about the proposed competencies and EPAs and, together with the following discussion, contribute to the creation of new training concepts in surgical neuro-oncology.

SUBMITTER: Kamp MA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8131302 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:The psycho-oncological burden related to the diagnosis of an intracranial tumor is often accompanied by neurocognitive deficits and changes in character, overall affecting health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and activities of daily living. Regular administration of adequate screening tools is crucial to ensure a timely detection of needs for support and/or specific interventions. Although efforts have been made to assure the quality of neuro-oncological care, clinical assessment practice of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) remains overall heterogeneous, calling for a concise recommendation tailored to neuro-oncological patients. Therefore, this survey, promoted by the German Society of Neurosurgery, was conducted to evaluate the status quo of health care resources and PRO/neurocognition assessment practices throughout departments of surgical neuro-oncology in Germany. 72/127 (57%) of registered departments participated in the study, including 83% of all university hospital units. A second aim was to shed light on the impact of quality assurance strategies (i.e., department certification as part of an integrative neuro-oncology cancer center; CNOC) on the assessment practice, controlled for interacting structural factors, i.e., university hospital status (UH) and caseload. Despite an overall good to excellent availability of relevant health care structures (psycho-oncologist: 90%, palliative care unit: 97%, neuropsychology: 75%), a small majority of departments practice patient-centered screenings (psycho-oncological burden: 64%, HRQoL: 76%, neurocognition: 58%), however, much less frequently outside the framework of clinical trials. In this context, CNOC affiliation, representing a specific health care quality assurance process, was associated with significantly stronger PRO assessment practices regarding psycho-oncological burden, independent of UH status (common odds ratio=5.0, p=0.03). Nevertheless, PRO/neurocognitive assessment practice was not consistent even across CNOC. The overall most commonly used PRO/neurocognitive assessment tools were the Distress Thermometer (for psycho-oncological burden; 64%), the EORTC QLQ-C30 combined with the EORTC QLQ-BN20 (for HRQoL; 52%) and the Mini-Mental Status Test (for neurocognition; 67%), followed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA; 33%). Accordingly, for routine clinical screening, the authors recommend the Distress Thermometer and the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BN20, complemented by the MoCA as a comparatively sensitive yet basic neurocognitive test. This recommendation is intended to encourage more regular, adequate, and standardized routine assessments in neuro-oncological practice.

Project description:BackgroundThe Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has extraordinarily impacted global healthcare. Neuro-oncological surgery units have peculiar features that make them highly relevant in the strategic reaction to the pandemic. In this Chinese Society of Neuro-Oncology (CSNO) initiated survey, we appraise the changes implemented in neuro-oncological surgery hospitals across different Asian countries and provide expert recommendations for responses at different stages of the pandemic.MethodsWe performed a 42-question survey of the early experience of neuro-oncological surgery practice in hospitals across different Asian countries on April 1, 2020, with responses closed on April 18, 2020.Results144 hospitals completed the questionnaire. Most were in WHO post-peak phase of the pandemic and reported a median reduction in neuro-oncological surgery volume of 25-50%. Most (67.4%) resumed elective surgery in only COVID-19 negative patients;11.1% performed only emergency cases irrespective of COVID-19 status;2.1% suspended all surgical activity. Ninety-one (63.2%) relocated personnel from neurosurgery to other departments. Fifty-two (36.1%) hospitals suspended post-operative adjuvant therapy and 94 (65.2%) instituted different measures to administer post-operative adjuvant therapy. Majority (59.0%) of the hospitals suspended research activity. Most (70%) respondents anticipate that current neurosurgery restrictions will continue to remain for > 1 month.ConclusionsMajority of the respondents to our survey reported reduced neuro-oncological surgery activity, policy modification, personnel reallocation, and curtailment of educational/research activities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The persistent widespread interruption of surgical neuro-oncology in even post-peak phases of the pandemic raises serious concerns about the long-term impact of the pandemic on neuro-oncological patients and highlights the essence of timely measures for pandemic preparedness, patient triage, and workforce protection.