SOS study: the Effect on Patients from Surgeon Stress
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Surgeon Outcomes from Stress (SOS study): An Observational Investigation into the Patterns and Impact of Stress on Surgeons’ Technical Performance and Patient Outcomes
IRAS ID
341659
Contact name
James Clark
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Surgeons under stress have an increased risk of making errors that can have direct consequences to patients. Currently, there is no reliable way of measuring real-time stress during surgery and most techniques rely on questionnaires that are not useful in the operating theatre.
This research aims to better understand how stress affects surgeons using modern technology to measure stress in real-time. By measuring heart rate variability, eye movements and the movements of the surgeon's instruments, this research will provide greater detail of the stress levels that surgeons experience to identify those periods prior or during an operation that can impact on how good an outcome the surgery has for that individual patient.
REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/SW/0075
Date of REC Opinion
30 Jul 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion