CONSTRUCTION OF A MASSIVE ONLINE OPEN COURSE (MOOC) ON BASIC SKILLS IN THE SURGICAL CENTER
Surgicenters; Patient Safety; Hand Hygiene; Surgical Attire; Education, Distance.
More than 234 million surgical procedures are performed worldwide annually. This number raises concerns among researchers, healthcare professionals, and administrators regarding potential complications arising from these surgical procedures, such as Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs). These infections affect people worldwide, with surgical site infections (SSIs) being considered the most commonly investigated and observed type of HAI, particularly in developing countries. Despite being preventable events, SSIs represent a significant economic burden worldwide, ranking as the third most expensive infection, resulting in a considerable financial burden for both patients and healthcare systems. SSIs have multifactorial causes and are influenced by factors both endogenous and exogenous to the patient. It is important to emphasize that preoperative preparation or surgical hand antisepsis, as well as surgical attire, are effective preventive measures and significant criteria for reducing SSIs. This study aims to develop an educational resource on basic operating room skills, including surgical antisepsis of the hands, forearms, and elbows, and surgical attire with a sterile gown, to train students and healthcare professionals. This is a technological production study. Initially, the antisepsis and surgical attire practices of 10th-year medical interns at UFRN were observed in the operating room. Using a checklist and an OSCE, data were collected, which served as the basis for developing the open online course, offered on the Unified Health System (AVASUS) virtual learning environment platform. This study hopes that delivering a distance learning course in the virtual environment will contribute to the development and improvement of attitudes and competencies related to basic operating room skills, with a focus on hand antisepsis and surgical attire. This improvement aims to promote good health practices and favorable patient outcomes. We believe that the course offered will provide flexible and accessible learning to students and professionals in healthcare practice regardless of geographical and time limitations.