129 LaparoscopiX: Expanding Minimally Invasive Surgery Training in Kenya

Abstract

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Open surgery prevails in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to scarcity of laparoscopic equipment and poor access to training. LaparosopiX is a box trainer system designed for teaching hospitals in LMICs; it includes an open-source laser print design and an app to allow surgical trainees to receive feedback from laparoscopic experts. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: This study aims to assess the usability of Laparoscopix for surgical trainees and mentors at five large teaching hospitals in Kenya. Surgical trainees and mentors who participate in this study will be observed while setting up and using the app to identify natural pain-points. A post-session survey will be conducted to assess immediate perceptions of the platform including ease of navigation and intuitive design. Over three months, aggregate data regarding platform usage at these hospital sites will be collected and analyzed to assess user retention rates, usage and traffic patterns, and skill progression over time. Surveys will be sent out to assess attitudes towards the platform and to elucidate any aspects of the system we can improve. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We hope to find overall positive impressions towards the LaparoscopiX system during this study. We expect there to be some pain-points that arise during navigation of the app, but we expect no large changes to the application architecture required. We anticipate an immediate increase and eventual plateau of users recruited. We hope to see that surgical trainees are advancing through the app while gaining practice and confidence. We will gather insightful data on which aspects of the app were helpful for trainees, and which can be improved. We also hope to learn what factors may play into trainee and mentor retention in the system. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Through this study, we hope to elucidate ways in which we can improve the LaparoscopiX platform, identify which features to prioritize, and determine the direction of future app development. We believe and hope that LaparoscopiX can expand access to laparoscopic surgical mentorship to improve surgical outcomes and health equity worldwide.