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Last week: our paper in @BJSurgery describing the #Lifebox Surgical Headlight Project.
What is the process to address poor surgical lighting in resource-constrained operating environments?
https://bjssjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/bjs.11756
A thread
to answer this and other
s...
What is the process to address poor surgical lighting in resource-constrained operating environments?
https://bjssjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/bjs.11756
A thread
to answer this and others...
What's the problem?Among 125 Million operations performed in LMICs each year, 1/3 will experience intermittent electricity or have to delay/cancel operations due to poor lighting.
Portable headlights may solve the problem of ineffective overhead lighting, but surgeons face challenges in ID'ing the perfect light for their needs:
Few opportunities to test headlights
High costs
Lack of standardized specs to evaluate from afar
and many more...
In 2016, Lifebox ( @SaferSurgery) began the process to ID the optimal headlight for use in resource-constrained settings.@fernandez_katie
Minimum specifications for the optimal headlight were established by reviewing existing medical and recreational headlights and shadowing surgeons in Ethiopia to develop a target product profile.@forrester_jared @KrisTorgeson @TGWeiser
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/article-abstract/2712927
Following an open call for headlight submissions from global manufacturers, 8 headlights underwent controlled engineering testing against the predetermined target product profile.Human-centered design protocol by @elizjohansen #SparkHealthDesign
Five headlights underwent mixed-methods field testing in Ethiopia. Surgeons rated each model, commenting on overall performance, price, and willingness to purchase. 
A single headlight was selected for further modification and larger-scale distribution + testing.
So, what does this mean? The #Lifebox Surgical Headlight Project is on its way to the production of a purpose-built surgical headlight designed using human-centered principles for use in resource-constrained settings.
Stay tuned...
Thanks to @BJSurgery for sharing the work. On behalf of a great team: @NicholeStarr5 @elizjohansen @forrester_jared Wayessa @drebolloMD @blackgrlsurgeon @fernandez_katie @Senaitbitew @TihitenaN @TGWeiser
FIN
