Research in surgical education and wound healing

What is the Academy’s research?

The Academy’s research is the evaluation of its own educational approach: whether teaching wound management as six connected phases, from assessment to follow-up, improves what learners know, what they can do and how they decide. The framework has been developed; the pilot implementation and its evaluation are in development, and no results exist yet.

What may future research evaluate?

Future research may address six questions:

• Learning outcomes. What learners know and understand after a program, compared with before it.
• Technical performance. How well they perform the skills taught, observed directly.
• Clinical decision-making. Whether they choose appropriately what to do, when, and when not to act.
• Safety awareness. Whether they anticipate risk and recognize complications earlier.
• Learner experience. How learners experience the programs, and what helps or hinders them.
• Transfer of learning. Whether what was learned lasts and carries over into clinical practice.

How will research be conducted?

Responsibly and transparently. Studies involving people will seek ethics review where it is required, participation will be voluntary and based on informed consent, and personal data will be protected. Methods will be defined before data are collected, and results will be published whatever they show.

The Academy’s assessment framework, itself in development, provides the instruments that the evaluation will use.

What is the research line on wound biology?

Separate from the evaluation of teaching, the Academy maintains a research line on wound biology, genetics and regenerative medicine. It studies the science behind healing and scarring and appraises regenerative approaches critically. It is not offered as teaching and makes no clinical claims.

How can researchers collaborate?

Researchers in medical education, surgery, wound healing or evaluation are welcome to propose a collaboration. Joint work could include study design, pilot sites, assessment instruments and analysis. Outputs will be listed on the publications page when they exist.