title: Fundamentals of robotic surgery: a course of basic robotic surgery skills based upon a 14-society consensus template of outcomes measures and curriculum development.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is a need for a standardized curriculum for training and assessment of robotic surgeons to proficiency, followed by high-stakes testing (HST) for certification.
  
  
  METHODS
  To standardize the curriculum and certification of robotic surgeons, a series of consensus conferences attended by 14 leading international surgical societies have been used to compile the outcomes measures and curriculum that should form the basis for a Fundamentals of Robotic Surgery (FRS) programme.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A set of 25 outcomes measures and a curriculum for teaching the skills needed to safely use current generation surgical robotic systems has been developed and accepted by a committee of experienced robotic surgeons across 14 specialties.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A standardized process for certifying the skills of a robotic surgeon has begun to emerge. The work described here documents both the processes used for developing educational material and the educational content of a robotic curriculum.
authors.affiliation: Florida Hospital Nicholson Center, Celebration, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Vipul
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Satava
mesh_terms: D016477:Artifacts; D002568:Certification; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003479:Curriculum; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D065287:Robotic Surgical Procedures / Q000193:education* / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D012371:Robotics; D012955:Societies, Medical; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: educational curriculum; outcomes measures; robotic surgery