How We Do It: Creation of a Workforce Development-Focused Track at a Surgical Hackathon

Abstract

Objective: Healthcare hackathons are fast-paced, mentored events that bring together individuals with diverse skillsets to identify clinical needs and propose solutions. Traditionally geared toward device development and workflow optimization, platforms that address women and minorities in surgery are rare. We aimed to expand the traditional healthcare hackathon model to include a novel workforce development (WD) track to address concerns faced by surgeons and trainees.

Design: The WD track was created as part of the first surgical hackathon at our academic institution. In a single-day event, participants identified concerns (pain points) of diversity and sustainability in surgery, formed interdisciplinary teams, and pitched solutions. Pain points, project themes, and postevent survey results were analyzed and compared between WD and other tracks.

Setting: Participants were surveyed at Yale School of Medicine, an academic medical tertiary center, in September 2018.

Participants: Thirty-one total participants. Twenty-five (80.6%) responded to the survey.

Results: Of 57 problem pitches, 23 (40.4%) were related to WD. Issues highlighted 5 themes: training and career exploration, leadership and communication of skills, mental health and burnout prevention, surgeon discrimination and harassment, and work-life balance. Participants formed 6 groups, with 1 focused on WD. There was no difference between participants in the WD track and non-WD track counterparts with regard to excitement for continuing their project beyond the hackathon (4.00, standard deviation [SD] 0.89, vs. 3.63, SD 1.12, p = 0.43), and in their perception of the mentorship they received (4.00, SD 1.00, vs. 4.11, SD 0.78, p = 0.84). The project presented within the WD track, on culturally sensitive scrub wear, was 1 of 3 prize-winners.

Conclusions: The first WD track at a healthcare hackathon identified 5 themes of unmet workforce needs. The pilot demonstrated that WD tracks can be implemented in hackathons with similar results to traditional tracks and create innovative and sustainable solutions to surgical workforce concerns.

Keywords: diversity; hackathon; innovation; surgery; surgical education; workforce.