Cathy Eng, MD
Cathy Eng, MD, the David H. Johnson Chair in Surgical and Medical Oncology, Co-Leader of the Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer Research Program, and Co-Director of GI Oncology at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, as well as Vice Chair of the SWOG GI Committee, said she found the study’s results to be “fairly compelling.” Dr. Eng was impressed by the study’s scale: involving 15 physicians from almost 12 hospitals over a 5-year period, with 12 physicians reviewing the videos.1
“The study definitely indicates that the more experienced the surgeon is, the better the outcome,” she commented.
“I am curious,” she added, “since the study was conducted in Illinois—which has a diverse population, how many of these physicians were in rural vs urban hospitals? How many surgeons were in academic vs community settings? How many were colorectal board-certified vs general surgeons?” This information could aid in interpreting the findings.
Dr. Eng said she would like to see the use of videos validated in other states across the nation. “I think it emphasizes that videos can be used internally in hospitals to improve surgical technique and should be considered to improve quality metrics at several facilities.”
DISCLOSURE: Dr. Eng has served as a consultant or advisor to Array BioPharma, Bayer Schering Pharma, Foundation of Medicine, and Natera.
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