Needs Assessment for a National Robotic Surgical Curriculum: A Scoping Review

A scoping review of the robotic surgery literature of the last 22 years was performed to characterize the state of robotic surgery curricula and identify targets for further curriculum development efforts. Curricula were analyzed utilizing two conceptual frameworks, Kern’s six steps for curriculum development and the Kirkpatrick model. Learner specialty and training level was also captured. The number of published robotic surgery curricula has grown nearly exponentially. Despite this, however, very few described the comprehensive use of Kern’s six steps. Additionally, most curricula focused on non-clinical learner outcomes such as satisfaction surveys or simulated skill development. Overall, this study highlights the need for a concerted effort to develop high-quality robotic surgery curricula that focus on impact in clinical settings. We hope this will serve as a “call to arms” for national surgical education and robotic societies to work in a collaborative manner in the development of standardized robotic training programs.