title: Building surgical capacity in low-resource countries: a qualitative analysis of task shifting from surgeon volunteers' perspectives.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Surgical volunteer organizations (SVOs) focus considerable resources on addressing the backlog of cases in low-resource countries. This model of service may perpetuate dependency. Efforts should focus on models that establish independence in providing surgical care. Independence could be achieved through surgical capacity building. However, there has been scant discussion in literature on SVO involvement in surgical capacity building.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using qualitative methods, we evaluated the perspectives of surgeons with extensive volunteer experience in low-resource countries. We collected data through in-depth interviews that centered on SVOs using task shifting as a tool for surgical capacity building.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Some of the key themes from our analysis include the ethical ramifications of task shifting, the challenges of addressing technical and clinical education in capacity building for low-resource settings, and the allocation of limited volunteer resources toward surgical capacity building.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These themes will be the foundation of subsequent studies that will focus on other stakeholders in surgical capacity building including host communities and SVO administrators.
authors.affiliation: From the *Section of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI; †ReSurge International, Mountain View, CA; and ‡Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Oluseyi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Aliu
authors.forename: Scott D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Corlew
authors.forename: Michele E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Heisler
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Pannucci
authors.forename: Kevin C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D057191:Capacity Building / Q000941:ethics / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008493:Medical Missions / Q000941:ethics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D010820:Physicians; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013518:Surgery, Plastic / Q000193:education / Q000941:ethics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States; D014838:Volunteers