Identifying and reporting modifications to surgical innovation: a systematic review of IDEAL/IDEAL-D studies

Objectives The Idea, Development, Evaluation, Assessment and Long-term follow-up (IDEAL) framework was designed to improve the quality of surgical research and evaluation of surgical innovation. It has become a widely cited tool for evaluating innovative devices and procedures, yet challenges remain...

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Main Authors: Natalie S Blencowe, Kerry Avery, Rhiannon Macefield, Daisy Elliott, James Olivier
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2025-06-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/6/e097097.full
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author Natalie S Blencowe
Kerry Avery
Rhiannon Macefield
Daisy Elliott
James Olivier
author_facet Natalie S Blencowe
Kerry Avery
Rhiannon Macefield
Daisy Elliott
James Olivier
author_sort Natalie S Blencowe
collection DOAJ
description Objectives The Idea, Development, Evaluation, Assessment and Long-term follow-up (IDEAL) framework was designed to improve the quality of surgical research and evaluation of surgical innovation. It has become a widely cited tool for evaluating innovative devices and procedures, yet challenges remain concerning the definition and reporting of incremental innovative modifications, hindering evolution and evaluation of innovations and potentially risking patient safety. This systematic review examined IDEAL studies to identify such modifications and establish recent practices around modification reporting to inform the development of future guidance to facilitate safe, transparent and efficient surgical innovation.Design Systematic review and thematic synthesis of studies reporting surgical innovation.Data sources Web of Science and Scopus were searched in July 2023 using citation tools to identify studies following the IDEAL framework (citing any of 13 key IDEAL/IDEAL framework publications and guideline papers).Eligibility criteria Primary research studies of any design that involved invasive innovative devices or procedures.Data extraction and synthesis Study characteristics and verbatim text for all reported modifications, including contextual information, were extracted. Data were analysed and synthesised using thematic synthesis.Results Of 1071 records screened, 104 studies published between 2011–2023 were included (n=87 (83.6%) study reports; n=17 (16.3%) protocols). 425 modifications were reported in 76 (73.1%) studies, including modifications to procedures (n=283, 66.6%), devices (n=94, 22.1%) and patient selection (n=48, 11.3%). Procedure/device modifications included technical, non-technical and cessation (conversion to other procedures or abandonment). Modifications were most often reported within IDEAL stage 2a (n=30/44, 68.2%), whereas there was considerable variation across other stages, such as stage 0 (n=2/3, 66%) and stage 2b (n=4/12, 33.3%).Conclusion Reporting modifications is imperative for evaluating surgical innovation. However, this review found inconsistent approaches to reporting and describing modifications. Findings will inform the development of a checklist for reporting modifications that aims to complement the IDEAL framework and further promote shared learning, avoiding the repetition of harmful/ineffective modifications and enhancing patient safety.PROSPERO registration number CRD42023427704.
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spelling doaj-art-f39d7f71a34a4734aaf0bb7d66eda1912025-07-01T04:00:21ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552025-06-0115610.1136/bmjopen-2024-097097Identifying and reporting modifications to surgical innovation: a systematic review of IDEAL/IDEAL-D studiesNatalie S Blencowe0Kerry Avery1Rhiannon Macefield2Daisy Elliott3James Olivier4NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust and University of Bristol, Bristol, Bristol, UKNIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust and University of Bristol, Bristol, Bristol, UKNIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust and University of Bristol, Bristol, Bristol, UKNIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust and University of Bristol, Bristol, Bristol, UKNIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust and University of Bristol, Bristol, Bristol, UKObjectives The Idea, Development, Evaluation, Assessment and Long-term follow-up (IDEAL) framework was designed to improve the quality of surgical research and evaluation of surgical innovation. It has become a widely cited tool for evaluating innovative devices and procedures, yet challenges remain concerning the definition and reporting of incremental innovative modifications, hindering evolution and evaluation of innovations and potentially risking patient safety. This systematic review examined IDEAL studies to identify such modifications and establish recent practices around modification reporting to inform the development of future guidance to facilitate safe, transparent and efficient surgical innovation.Design Systematic review and thematic synthesis of studies reporting surgical innovation.Data sources Web of Science and Scopus were searched in July 2023 using citation tools to identify studies following the IDEAL framework (citing any of 13 key IDEAL/IDEAL framework publications and guideline papers).Eligibility criteria Primary research studies of any design that involved invasive innovative devices or procedures.Data extraction and synthesis Study characteristics and verbatim text for all reported modifications, including contextual information, were extracted. Data were analysed and synthesised using thematic synthesis.Results Of 1071 records screened, 104 studies published between 2011–2023 were included (n=87 (83.6%) study reports; n=17 (16.3%) protocols). 425 modifications were reported in 76 (73.1%) studies, including modifications to procedures (n=283, 66.6%), devices (n=94, 22.1%) and patient selection (n=48, 11.3%). Procedure/device modifications included technical, non-technical and cessation (conversion to other procedures or abandonment). Modifications were most often reported within IDEAL stage 2a (n=30/44, 68.2%), whereas there was considerable variation across other stages, such as stage 0 (n=2/3, 66%) and stage 2b (n=4/12, 33.3%).Conclusion Reporting modifications is imperative for evaluating surgical innovation. However, this review found inconsistent approaches to reporting and describing modifications. Findings will inform the development of a checklist for reporting modifications that aims to complement the IDEAL framework and further promote shared learning, avoiding the repetition of harmful/ineffective modifications and enhancing patient safety.PROSPERO registration number CRD42023427704.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/6/e097097.full
spellingShingle Natalie S Blencowe
Kerry Avery
Rhiannon Macefield
Daisy Elliott
James Olivier
Identifying and reporting modifications to surgical innovation: a systematic review of IDEAL/IDEAL-D studies
BMJ Open
title Identifying and reporting modifications to surgical innovation: a systematic review of IDEAL/IDEAL-D studies
title_full Identifying and reporting modifications to surgical innovation: a systematic review of IDEAL/IDEAL-D studies
title_fullStr Identifying and reporting modifications to surgical innovation: a systematic review of IDEAL/IDEAL-D studies
title_full_unstemmed Identifying and reporting modifications to surgical innovation: a systematic review of IDEAL/IDEAL-D studies
title_short Identifying and reporting modifications to surgical innovation: a systematic review of IDEAL/IDEAL-D studies
title_sort identifying and reporting modifications to surgical innovation a systematic review of ideal ideal d studies
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/6/e097097.full
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