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📒  Deep Dive: Surgical Procedure Logbook

📒  Surgical Procedure Logbook

A surgical procedure logbook is a complete record of any operative work you have been involved in. The logbook is required for appraisal, training, and revalidation and therefore forms an essential component of a surgeon's training and post-training career record.

Do I need a surgical logbook as a non-surgical doctor?

No, you do not need to keep a logbook if you are not a surgical trainee and have no intention to become one in the future, however, there is also no harm in keeping a record of surgeries you have attended or assisted with as a matter of personal interest or future-proofing.

How is a surgical logbook different from a DOPS?

A DOPS demonstrates procedural competence and technical skill, whereas a logbook demonstrates breadth of experience. A logbook is not a formal assessment, but a log of all operative procedures you have undertaken and the level of supervision required on each occasion.

What does a surgical logbook look like?

The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) provides trainees with access to a digital logbook where they can compile information about which surgeries they attended and with which lead surgeon, their role in the procedure, and their reflections (along with lots of other information). The entries in the digital logbook can be ratified (digitally signed off) by the surgeon listed in the logbook as proof.

If you want to use a digital logbook but aren’t a member of the RCS, then there are free and paid options online, but you can also use paper documents for sign-offs if you include the following information:

  • date of procedure
  • location of procedure (name of the hospital)
  • name of procedure
  • lead surgeon
  • your role in the procedure
    • Observed (O)
    • Assisted (A)
    • Supervised - trainer scrubbed (S-TS)
    • Supervised - trainer unscrubbed (S-TU)
    • Performed (P)
    • Training more junior trainee (T)
  • any complications that you encountered
  • any learning outcomes

Make sure that every logbook entry is signed/validated by the trainer/supervisor.