Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2007 Dec;83(986):777-9.
doi: 10.1136/pgmj.2007.057190.

Learning curves in surgical practice

A N Hopper  1 , M H Jamison, W G Lewis
Affiliations

Learning curves in surgical practice

A N Hopper et al. Postgrad Med J. 2007 Dec.

Abstract

Learning curves are often referred to in the context of medical education and training, though their trajectories and natures are a matter of debate. The origins of this concept derive from industry and its relevance to contemporary medicine and surgery remains controversial. We describe the history, derivation, character and possible mechanisms to deal with the implications of learning curves in the current climate of clinical governance and modernizing medical careers.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared

References

    1. Ramsay C R, Grant A M, Wallace S A.et al Assessment of the learning curve in health technologies. A systematic review. Int J Technol Assess Health Care 2000161095–1108. - PubMed
    1. Bridgewater B, Grayson A D, Au J.et al Improving mortality of coronary surgery over first four years of independent practice: retrospective examination of prospectively collected data from 15 surgeons. BMJ (Clin Res ed) 2004329421 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Dincler S, Koller M T, Steurer J.et al Multidimensional analysis of learning curves in laparoscopic sigmoid resection: eight‐year results. Dis Colon Rectum 2003461371–8 discussion 89. - PubMed
    1. Hassan A, Pozzi M, Hamilton L. New surgical procedures: can we minimise the learning curve? BMJ (Clin Res ed) 2000320171–173. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sutton D N, Wayman J, Griffin S M. Learning curve for oesophageal cancer surgery. Br J Surg 1998851399–1402. - PubMed

MeSH terms