The Foundation for International Education in Neurological Surgery

Bagan, Merwyn

doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2010.03.007

Cited by 29 publications

(15 citation statements)

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“…3,8 Analysis of 178 Foundation for International Education in Neurological Surgery (FIENS) volunteer reports indicated successful strategies for global neurosurgical efforts included local collaboration and continuity of care, while equipment and infrastructure frailty were the most commonly cited challenges. 33 Culture challenges, including language barriers and decreased operative time during holidays, were far less frequently cited.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

State of global pediatric neurosurgery outreach: survey by the International Education Subcommittee

Davis

Rocque

Singhal

et al. 2017

Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics

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OBJECTIVENeurosurgical services are increasingly recognized as essential components of surgical care worldwide. The degree of interest among neurosurgeons regarding international work, and the barriers to involvement in global neurosurgical outreach, are largely unexplored. The authors distributed a survey to members of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons (AANS/CNS) Joint Section on Pediatric Neurosurgery to assess the state of global outreach among its members and to identify barriers to involvement.METHODSAn internet-based questionnaire was developed by the International Education Subcommittee of the AANS/CNS Joint Section on Pediatric Neurosurgery and distributed to pediatric neurosurgeons via the AANS/CNS Joint Section email contact list. Participants were surveyed on their involvement in global neurosurgical outreach, geographic location, nature of the participation, and barriers to further involvement.RESULTSA 35.3% response rate was obtained, with 116 respondents completing the survey. Sixty-one percent have performed or taught neurosurgery in a developing country, and 49% travel at least annually. Africa was the most common region (54%), followed by South America (30%), through 29 separate organizing entities. Hydrocephalus was the most commonly treated condition (88%), followed by spinal dysraphism (74%), and tumor (68%). Most respondents obtained follow-up through communications from local surgeons (77%). Seventy-one percent believed the international experience improved their practice, and 74% were very or extremely interested in working elsewhere. Interference with current practice (61%), cost (44%), and difficulty identifying international partners (43%) were the most commonly cited barriers to participation.CONCLUSIONSAny coordinated effort to expand global neurosurgical capacity begins with appreciation for the current state of outreach efforts. Increasing participation in global outreach will require addressing both real and perceived barriers to involvement. Creation and curation of a centralized online database of ongoing projects to facilitate coordination and involvement may be beneficial.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

State of global pediatric neurosurgery outreach: survey by the International Education Subcommittee

Davis

Rocque

Singhal

et al. 2017

Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics

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“…Therefore, this model is useful for periods between missions when a lack of contact can undermine the development of the project. 3 This model also integrates well within virtually any established surgical training program and complements the training that residents receive locally.…”

Section: Online Surgical Curriculummentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Multiple neurosurgical collaborations have been developed between HIC and LMIC institutions in the last 15 years. 4,5, 9, 17, 20, 22, 24, 25, 30-32, 34,36 Although the establishment of initiatives such as the Foundation for International Education in Neurological Surgery (FIENS) 3 and the Neurosurgery, Education and Development (NED) Foundation have supported this cause, most projects are still being organized by individual or single-center initiatives, and face financial, organizational, and academic challenges.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Global neurosurgery: models for international surgical education and collaboration at one university

Almeida

Velásquez

Karekezi

et al. 2018

Neurosurgical Focus

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OBJECTIVEInternational collaborations between high-income (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have been developed as an attempt to reduce the inequalities in surgical care around the world. In this paper the authors review different models for international surgical education and describe projects developed by the Division of Neurosurgery at the University of Toronto in this field.METHODSThe authors conducted a review of models of international surgical education reported in the literature in the last 15 years. Previous publications on global neurosurgery reported by the Division of Neurosurgery at the University of Toronto were reviewed to exemplify the applications and challenges of international surgical collaborations.RESULTSThe most common models for international surgical education and collaboration include international surgical missions, long-term international partnerships, fellowship training models, and online surgical education. Development of such collaborations involves different challenges, including limited time availability, scarce funding/resources, sociocultural barriers, ethical challenges, and lack of organizational support. Of note, evaluation of outcomes of international surgical projects remains limited, and the development and application of assessment tools, such as the recently proposed Framework for the Assessment of International Surgical Success (FAIRNeSS), is encouraged.CONCLUSIONSActions to reduce inequality in surgical care should be implemented around the world. Different models can be used for bilateral exchange of knowledge and improvement of surgical care delivery in regions where there is poor access to surgical care. Implementation of global neurosurgery initiatives faces multiple limitations that can be ameliorated if systematic changes occur, such as the development of academic positions in global surgery, careful selection of participant centers, governmental and nongovernmental financial support, and routine application of outcome evaluation for international surgical collaborations.

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“…The Foundation for International Education in Neurological Surgery (FIENS) has been promoting the training of neurosurgeons on a global scale since 1969. 3 FIENS has made tremendous impacts in Central America, South America, Asia, and most recently Africa, due to the past leadership of Merwyn Bagan and current leadership of Robert Dempsey. An important distinction of the work FIENS has engaged in has been its emphasis on the development of in-country residencies/fellowships to train neurosurgeons.…”

Section: Training (Increase the Number Of Neurosurgeons)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Global neurosurgery: innovators, strategies, and the way forward

Haglund

Fuller

2019

Journal of Neurosurgery

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Around the world today, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have not benefited from advancements in neurosurgery; most have minimal or even no neurosurgical capacity in their entire country. In this paper, the authors examine in broad strokes the different ways in which individuals, organizations, and universities engage in global neurosurgery to address the global challenges faced in many LMICs. Key strategies include surgical camps, educational programs, training programs, health system strengthening projects, health policy changes/development, and advocacy. Global neurosurgery has begun coalescing with large strides taken to develop a coherent voice for this work. This large-scale collaboration via multilateral, multinational engagement is the only true solution to the issues we face in global neurosurgery. Key players have begun to come together toward this ultimate solution, and the future of global neurosurgery is bright.

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The Foundation for International Education in Neurological Surgery

Cited by 29 publications

References 0 publications

State of global pediatric neurosurgery outreach: survey by the International Education Subcommittee

State of global pediatric neurosurgery outreach: survey by the International Education Subcommittee

Global neurosurgery: models for international surgical education and collaboration at one university

Global neurosurgery: innovators, strategies, and the way forward

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