The following is a summary of “Controller size matters: User proficiency is affected by endoscopic controller size,” published in the FEBRUARY 2023 issue of Surgery by Yong, et al.
A one-size-fits-all design is typical of endoscope controllers. However, today’s workforce in endoscopy sectors might need to be more suited to this approach. For a study, researchers sought to investigate if the size of endoscopic controllers, regardless of user skill, affects user proficiency.
They recruited 54 participants unfamiliar with endoscopy procedures and performed a baseline dexterity test. The participants underwent simulation exercises using both large-controller endoscopic and small-controller bronchoscopic devices. We stratified the participants based on their surgical glove size, with a cut-off value of <7.5 and ≥7.5, as well as their gender.
The results showed that endoscopy time was significantly longer in participants with glove sizes <7.5 (P=0.01) and in females (P<0.001). However, participants with glove sizes <7.5 exhibited better dexterity measures (P=0.04). There was no significant difference in bronchoscopy time based on glove size (P=0.61).
Based on the findings, they concluded that participants with larger hands were more proficient with the larger controller despite having less dexterity than their counterparts. This advantage was less pronounced with the smaller controller. Therefore, they suggested that endoscopic controllers should be designed to accommodate all providers, considering the differences in hand size.
Source: americanjournalofsurgery.com/article/S0002-9610(22)00618-3/fulltext
