Demands of surgical teams in robotic-assisted surgery: An assessment of intraoperative workload within different surgical specialties

Background Current approaches to assessing workload in robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) focus on surgeons and lack real-world data. Understanding how workload varies by role and specialty aids in identifying effective ways to optimize workload. Methods SURG-TLX surveys with six domains of workload were administered to surgical staff at three sites. Staff reported workload perceptions for each domain on a 20-point Likert scale, and aggregate scores were determined per participant. Results 188 questionnaires were obtained across 90 RAS procedures. Significantly higher aggregate scores were reported for gynecology (Mdn ​= ​30.00) (p ​= ​0.034) and urology (Mdn ​= ​36.50) (p ​= ​0.006) than for general (Mdn ​= ​25.00). Surgeons reported significantly higher scores for task complexity (Mdn ​= ​8.00) than both technicians (Mdn ​= ​5.00) (p ​= ​0.007), and nurses (Mdn ​= ​5.00). Conclusions Staff reported significantly higher workload during urology and gynecology procedures, and experienced significant differences in domain workload by role and specialty, elucidating the need for tailored workload interventions.