medical surgical research topics

Medical-Surgical Nursing Research Paper Topics

Medical-surgical nursing research paper topics are crucial for the development of the nursing profession and healthcare system. This field encompasses a wide range of topics and is essential for the care of adult patients undergoing surgical procedures and managing various medical conditions. It is pivotal for nursing students to explore different research topics in this area to enhance their knowledge, improve patient care, and contribute to the advancement of the nursing profession. This page will provide a comprehensive list of research paper topics divided into categories, a detailed article on the significance of medical-surgical nursing, and the range of research topics it offers. Additionally, it will present the writing services offered by iResearchNet, enabling students to order a custom research paper on any topic in medical-surgical nursing.

100 Medical-Surgical Nursing Research Paper Topics

Medical-surgical nursing is a specialized area of nursing that focuses on the care of patients undergoing surgical procedures and those with acute or chronic medical conditions. This field is critical as it involves the application of evidence-based practices to optimize patient outcomes in various settings, from the operating room to the patient’s home. The diversity of medical-surgical nursing research paper topics reflects the vast scope of this field, covering areas such as patient safety, chronic disease management, surgical procedures, and more. It is essential for nursing students and professionals to engage in research in this area to contribute to the advancement of knowledge and the improvement of patient care.

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Patient Safety

• Strategies to prevent falls in hospitalized patients.
• The role of bedside handover in enhancing patient safety.
• The impact of electronic health records on patient safety.
• Strategies to prevent medication errors in hospitalized patients.
• The role of simulation training in enhancing patient safety in medical-surgical nursing.
• Strategies to prevent pressure ulcers in bed-bound patients.
• The impact of nurse-patient ratios on patient safety in medical-surgical units.
• Strategies to prevent hospital-acquired infections in medical-surgical units.
• The role of patient education in enhancing patient safety in medical-surgical nursing.
• The impact of teamwork and communication on patient safety in medical-surgical units.

Chronic Disease Management

• The role of self-management education in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• Strategies to improve medication adherence in patients with diabetes.
• The impact of nurse-led clinics on the management of patients with hypertension.
• Strategies to improve the quality of life of patients with heart failure.
• The role of telehealth in the management of patients with chronic kidney disease.
• Strategies to prevent complications in patients with osteoporosis.
• The impact of lifestyle interventions on the management of patients with type 2 diabetes.
• Strategies to improve the mental health of patients with chronic diseases.
• The role of patient education in the management of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
• The impact of nurse-led interventions on the management of patients with chronic pain.

Surgical Procedures

• The impact of preoperative education on patient outcomes after surgery.
• Strategies to prevent postoperative complications in patients undergoing major surgery.
• The role of perioperative nursing in enhancing patient outcomes after surgery.
• Strategies to manage pain in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery.
• The impact of minimally invasive surgery on patient outcomes.
• Strategies to prevent surgical site infections in patients undergoing surgery.
• The role of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols in improving patient outcomes.
• Strategies to manage postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing surgery.
• The impact of preoperative fasting on patient outcomes after surgery.
• The role of intraoperative nursing in enhancing patient outcomes during surgery.

Pain Management

• The effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions in managing postoperative pain.
• The role of patient education in managing chronic pain in adults.
• The impact of opioid management protocols on patient outcomes in medical-surgical units.
• Strategies to manage pain in patients with cancer.
• The effectiveness of alternative therapies in managing pain in patients with chronic diseases.
• The impact of nurse-led pain management protocols on patient satisfaction and outcomes.
• Strategies to manage pain in patients with acute injuries.
• The role of multimodal pain management in postoperative care.
• The impact of pain assessment tools on pain management in medical-surgical units.
• The role of nurses in managing pain in patients with palliative care needs.
• The effectiveness of pressure ulcer prevention strategies in hospitalized patients.
• The role of wound dressings in the management of surgical wounds.
• The impact of wound assessment tools on wound healing in patients with chronic wounds.
• Strategies to prevent wound infections in patients with surgical wounds.
• The role of nutritional support in wound healing.
• The impact of wound care protocols on patient outcomes in medical-surgical units.
• Strategies to manage complex wounds in patients with comorbidities.
• The role of negative pressure wound therapy in the management of acute and chronic wounds.
• The impact of moisture management on wound healing.
• The role of nurses in the management of patients with wounds in home care settings.

Postoperative Care

• The impact of early mobilization on patient outcomes after major surgery.
• The role of nursing interventions in preventing postoperative complications.
• The impact of discharge planning on readmission rates in patients after surgery.
• Strategies to manage postoperative delirium in elderly patients.
• The role of patient education in enhancing self-care behaviors after surgery.
• The impact of nurse-led follow-up care on patient outcomes after surgery.
• Strategies to prevent postoperative venous thromboembolism.
• The role of physical therapy in enhancing functional outcomes after surgery.
• The impact of postoperative glycemic control on patient outcomes.
• The role of nurses in managing postoperative pain in patients discharged to home care.

Medication Management

• The impact of medication reconciliation on preventing medication errors in hospitalized patients.
• The role of nurse-led medication education on medication adherence in patients with chronic diseases.
• The impact of electronic medication administration records on medication errors in medical-surgical units.
• Strategies to prevent adverse drug events in elderly patients.
• The role of pharmacogenomics in personalized medicine in medical-surgical nursing.
• The impact of medication management protocols on patient outcomes in medical-surgical units.
• Strategies to manage polypharmacy in patients with multiple comorbidities.
• The role of nurses in medication administration in pediatric medical-surgical units.
• The impact of medication management apps on medication adherence in patients with chronic diseases.
• The role of nurses in managing side effects of medications in cancer patients.

Ethical Issues in Medical-Surgical Nursing

• The role of nurses in decision-making in end-of-life care.
• The impact of advanced care planning on patient and family satisfaction in medical-surgical units.
• Strategies to manage ethical dilemmas in the care of patients with terminal illnesses.
• The role of nurses in obtaining informed consent for surgical procedures.
• The impact of ethical guidelines on the care of patients with mental health issues in medical-surgical units.
• Strategies to manage conflicts between patients’ wishes and best practices in medical-surgical nursing.
• The role of ethics committees in resolving ethical dilemmas in medical-surgical units.
• The impact of cultural competence on ethical decision-making in medical-surgical nursing.
• Strategies to manage ethical issues in the use of restraints in medical-surgical units.
• The role of nurses in advocating for patients’ rights in medical-surgical units.

Technological Innovations in Medical-Surgical Nursing

• The impact of telehealth on the management of patients with chronic diseases.
• The role of electronic health records in enhancing patient care in medical-surgical units.
• The impact of mobile health applications on patient outcomes in medical-surgical nursing.
• Strategies to enhance the use of technology in medication management in medical-surgical units.
• The role of simulation training in enhancing clinical skills in medical-surgical nursing.
• The impact of robotic surgery on patient outcomes in medical-surgical units.
• Strategies to enhance the use of technology in patient education in medical-surgical nursing.
• The role of technology in enhancing communication among multidisciplinary teams in medical-surgical units.
• The impact of technology on the management of patients with complex care needs in medical-surgical nursing.
• The role of technology in enhancing the quality of care in rural medical-surgical units.

Role of Nurses in Multidisciplinary Teams

• The impact of interdisciplinary collaboration on patient outcomes in medical-surgical units.
• The role of nurses in coordinating care among multidisciplinary teams in medical-surgical units.
• Strategies to enhance communication among multidisciplinary teams in medical-surgical units.
• The role of nurses in leading quality improvement initiatives in medical-surgical units.
• The impact of nurse-led interventions on the management of patients with multiple comorbidities.
• Strategies to enhance the role of nurses in decision-making in multidisciplinary teams.
• The role of nurses in managing conflicts among multidisciplinary teams in medical-surgical units.
• The impact of interdisciplinary collaboration on the prevention of hospital-acquired infections.
• Strategies to enhance the role of nurses in patient advocacy in multidisciplinary teams.
• The role of nurses in coordinating discharge planning among multidisciplinary teams.

Research in medical-surgical nursing is essential for the continuous improvement of patient care and the advancement of the nursing profession. The comprehensive list of medical-surgical nursing research paper topics provided above covers a wide range of issues that are of critical importance in this field. These topics provide a foundation for nursing students and professionals to explore various aspects of medical-surgical nursing, from patient safety to the role of nurses in multidisciplinary teams. Engaging in research in these areas will not only contribute to the body of knowledge but will also have a direct impact on the quality of care provided to patients. Therefore, it is encouraged to explore these topics and contribute to the ongoing efforts to improve patient outcomes in medical-surgical nursing.

The Range of Medical-Surgical Nursing Research Paper Topics

Medical-Surgical Nursing is a specialized area of nursing that is fundamental to the healthcare system. It is focused on the care of adult patients who have a broad range of acute and chronic medical conditions or are recovering from surgery. This specialization encompasses a wide variety of settings, from hospitals and long-term care facilities to home care. Medical-Surgical nurses, or Med-Surg nurses as they are commonly referred to, play a critical role in the patient’s recovery process. They are responsible for managing the care of patients, monitoring their conditions, administering medications, educating patients and their families, and working collaboratively with other healthcare professionals to ensure the best possible outcomes.

The significance of medical-surgical nursing cannot be understated. It is often considered the backbone of hospital care as it addresses the holistic needs of the patient. This field of nursing is essential for several reasons. First, the med-surg nurses are often the first line of defense in detecting and addressing changes in a patient’s condition. Their expertise in assessing and monitoring patients can lead to early intervention and prevention of complications. Second, medical-surgical nursing research paper topics play a crucial role in the development of best practices in the care of patients with various medical conditions and post-surgical needs. Lastly, medical-surgical nursing is a vast field that encompasses many different aspects of patient care, thus providing a wide range of research paper topics.

One of the crucial aspects of medical-surgical nursing is patient safety. Ensuring the safety of patients is paramount in all healthcare settings. Medical-surgical nurses are responsible for implementing safety measures, such as fall prevention, medication safety, and infection prevention. Fall prevention involves assessing the patient’s risk for falls and implementing interventions to prevent falls, such as using assistive devices, proper positioning, and educating the patient and family. Medication safety includes ensuring the correct medication is administered to the right patient, at the right dose, and at the right time. Infection prevention involves implementing measures to prevent the spread of infections, such as proper hand hygiene, using personal protective equipment, and isolating patients with contagious diseases. Research in this area can lead to the development of new strategies and interventions to enhance patient safety.

Chronic disease management is another vital aspect of medical-surgical nursing. Patients with chronic diseases often have complex needs that require comprehensive and coordinated care. Medical-surgical nurses play a key role in managing the care of patients with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart failure. They are responsible for monitoring the patient’s condition, administering medications, educating the patient and family about the disease and its management, and coordinating care with other healthcare professionals. Research in this area can lead to the development of new strategies and interventions to improve the management of chronic diseases and enhance the quality of life for these patients.

Surgical procedures are a common aspect of medical-surgical nursing. Med-Surg nurses are involved in the care of patients before, during, and after surgery. Preoperative care involves preparing the patient for surgery, both physically and emotionally. This includes ensuring the patient is informed about the surgery, assessing the patient’s physical condition, and coordinating any necessary preoperative tests or procedures. Intraoperative care involves monitoring the patient’s condition during surgery and assisting the surgical team as needed. Postoperative care involves monitoring the patient’s recovery, managing pain, preventing complications, and educating the patient and family about postoperative care. Research in this area can lead to the development of new strategies and interventions to enhance the care of patients undergoing surgical procedures.

The range of medical-surgical nursing research paper topics is vast and diverse, reflecting the broad spectrum of responsibilities and roles that med-surg nurses play in the healthcare system. Topics can include, but are not limited to, strategies to enhance patient safety, interventions to improve chronic disease management, and best practices in preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care. Research in these areas can lead to the development of new strategies and interventions that can enhance the care provided to patients and improve patient outcomes.

In conclusion, medical-surgical nursing is a crucial aspect of the healthcare system. Med-Surg nurses play a vital role in ensuring the safety of patients, managing the care of patients with chronic diseases, and providing care to patients undergoing surgical procedures. The wide range of responsibilities and roles that med-surg nurses play provides a vast array of medical-surgical nursing research paper topics. Research in this area is essential for the development of new strategies and interventions to enhance patient care and improve patient outcomes.

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The following represent additions to UpToDate from the past six months that were considered by the editors and authors to be of particular interest. The most recent What's New entries are at the top of each subsection.

ABDOMINAL WALL AND HERNIA SURGERY

Updated analysis on the risks and benefits of paraesophageal hernia repair (March 2024)

Paraesophageal hernia repair has not been advised for asymptomatic patients due to a high perioperative mortality relative to the risk of developing symptoms. However, in an updated Markov analysis of surgery versus expectant management for such patients, the mortality of elective laparoscopic repair was reduced to <0.5 percent, while the mortality of emergency repair remained high at 10 percent on average [ 1 ]. The annual probabilities of developing symptoms that would necessitate elective and emergency surgery were estimated to be 5.8 and 1.7 percent, respectively. Based on this new analysis, patients with a paraesophageal hernia should be referred for surgical consultation regardless of symptoms to determine if they are an appropriate candidate for hernia repair. In particular, older patients have a higher incidence of paraesophageal hernia and should not be denied surgical consultation. (See "Surgical management of paraesophageal hernia", section on 'Indications for surgical repair' .)

COLORECTAL SURGERY

Duration of antibiotic therapy following appendectomy for perforated appendicitis (February 2024)

The duration of antibiotic therapy following appendectomy for perforated appendicitis is debated. In a trial of 104 patients with complicated appendicitis (defined as gangrenous or perforated) who received 24 hours of intravenous or oral amoxicillin-clavulanate , the 30-day complication rate was not different (15 percent in both groups) [ 2 ]. Because the study population was dominated by patients with gangrenous appendicitis (75 percent) and 67 percent of organ/space infections occurred in patients with perforated appendicitis, these findings may not be generalizable to the latter group. Thus, until further data are available, we continue to suggest two to four days of intravenous antibiotics after appendectomy for those with perforated appendicitis, based on data from previous trials. (See "Management of acute appendicitis in adults", section on 'Antibiotics for perforated appendicitis' .)

Timing of appendectomy for uncomplicated appendicitis (November 2023)

Appendectomy is traditionally performed urgently to reduce the risk of perforation. However, a large randomized trial showed that patients with uncomplicated appendicitis (including those with appendicolith on computed tomography) who had an in-hospital delay of up to 24 hours before surgery had no increased risk of perforation or other complications compared with those who underwent surgery within 8 hours [ 3 ]. Given these data and general acceptance of antibiotic management of these patients, we suggest performing appendectomy within 24 hours of presentation in patients with uncomplicated appendicitis who elect to undergo surgery. (See "Management of acute appendicitis in adults", section on 'Timing of appendectomy' .)

BREAST SURGERY

Regional nodal radiation in early breast cancer (November 2023)

Studies are evaluating the impact of adjuvant regional nodal radiotherapy (RT) in patients with early breast cancer. In a meta-analysis including over 12,000 patients, absolute improvements in breast cancer recurrence and mortality from regional nodal RT in trials from the 1990s through 2000s were greatest for patients at highest risk for recurrence; absolute reductions in 15-year breast cancer mortality were 1 to 2 percent among those with no positive axillary lymph nodes, 2 to 3 percent among those with one to three positive nodes, and 4 to 5 percent for those with four or more positive nodes [ 4 ]. However, no benefits were observed in earlier trials of nodal RT. The discrepancy is likely due to refinements in radiation techniques. For patients with node-positive or high-risk node-negative breast cancer, we offer adjuvant regional nodal RT. (See "Adjuvant radiation therapy for women with newly diagnosed, non-metastatic breast cancer", section on 'Approach' .)

Peritumoral lidocaine injection before incision for breast cancer surgery (September 2023)

In a multicenter, randomized trial of over 1000 patients with early breast cancer undergoing mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery, peritumoral injection of 0.5% lidocaine prior to incision improved five-year disease-free survival (87 versus 83 percent) and five-year overall survival (90 versus 86 percent) [ 5 ]. The mechanism is unknown but thought to involve blocking voltage-gated sodium channels and thereby preventing activation of prometastatic pathways. The trial protocol for surgical management of breast cancer deviated from what may be considered standard treatment in many clinical practices, so further validation is necessary; however, peritumoral injection of lidocaine may be a reasonable intervention given its simplicity and minimal cost. (See "Breast-conserving therapy", section on 'Incision' .)

ENDOCRINE SURGERY

Risk of autoimmune disease after surgical cure of Cushing disease (February 2024)

In patients with a corticotropin (ACTH)-secreting pituitary tumor (Cushing disease), transsphenoidal surgery with adenomectomy provides a high rate of initial cure. Surgical cure of Cushing disease improves skeletal and cardiometabolic health, but it also may contribute to increased risk of autoimmune disorders. In a retrospective study in predominantly female adults (mean age approximately 44 years) with pituitary adenoma who underwent successful surgical management, patients with Cushing disease (n = 194) had a higher rate of new-onset autoimmune disease following surgery compared with patients with a nonfunctioning adenoma (n = 92; cumulative three-year incidence 10.4 versus 1.6 percent, respectively) [ 6 ]. Autoimmune thyroid disease was most common, and family history of autoimmune disease was associated with higher risk of developing an autoimmune disorder. These findings support the need for long-term monitoring of patients with Cushing disease, even after curative surgical treatment. (See "Primary therapy of Cushing disease: Transsphenoidal surgery and pituitary irradiation", section on 'Long-term health risks' .)

Cardiometabolic features of adrenal incidentaloma with mild autonomous cortisol secretion (December 2023)

In some individuals with adrenal incidentaloma, mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS) is evident in the absence of clinical features of Cushing syndrome. The long-term risks of MACS and optimal management strategies are not well defined. In a meta-analysis of 47 observational studies in 17,156 patients with adrenal incidentaloma, individuals with MACS (defined as serum cortisol >1.8 mcg/dL after a 1 mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test) exhibited a higher prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia compared with individuals with nonfunctioning adrenal adenomas [ 7 ]. Further, patients with MACS who underwent adrenalectomy showed greater improvement in cardiometabolic parameters than those who did not undergo surgery. These findings demonstrate the potential cardiometabolic risks of MACS and support our preference for adrenalectomy in patients with MACS and younger age or evidence of cardiometabolic dysregulation. (See "Evaluation and management of the adrenal incidentaloma", section on 'Clinical manifestations' .)

PERIOPERATIVE CARE

Postoperative noninvasive ventilation or high-flow nasal oxygen for patients with obesity (November 2023)

The optimal postoperative ventilatory strategy for patients with severe obesity has been unclear. In a 2023 network meta-analysis of randomized trials that compared various postoperative noninvasive ventilatory strategies in these patients, high-flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) or bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) reduced atelectasis; HFNO, BiPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) reduced postoperative pneumonia; and HFNO reduced length of stay compared with conventional oxygen therapy [ 8 ]. For patients with obesity who are hypoxic in the post-anesthesia care unit despite oxygen supplementation and incentive spirometry, we suggest a trial of HFNO, BiPAP, or CPAP prior to considering intubation. (See "Anesthesia for the patient with obesity", section on 'Post-anesthesia care unit management' .)

Negative pressure wound therapy for contaminated surgical wounds (November 2023)

Prophylactic negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is used on clean surgical wounds, but it may also be useful for contaminated surgical wounds. In a randomized trial that compared NPWT with standard wound care in 69 patients who underwent surgery for gastrointestinal perforation and had fascial closure, NPWT reduced rates of surgical site infection (18 versus 61 percent) and fascial dehiscence (9 versus 48 percent), increased the rate of delayed primary skin closure (91 versus 48 percent), and decreased median time to wound healing (19 versus 26 days) [ 9 ]. The results of this small trial are encouraging, and, in the absence of contraindications, we use NPWT over intact fascia to expedite closure of contaminated surgical wounds. (See "Negative pressure wound therapy", section on 'Prophylactic use' .)

SKIN AND SOFT TISSUE SURGERY

Lymphatic venous bypass reduces cellulitis frequency in patients with lower extremity lymphedema (March 2024)

Observational studies suggest lymphatic venous bypass procedures provide benefits beyond limb volume reduction. In a trial comparing lymphatic venous anastomosis (LVA) plus complex decongestive therapy (CDT) versus CDT alone in patients with lower extremity lymphedema, LVA resulted in a greater reduction in cellulitis frequency from baseline (0.57 versus 0.21 fewer episodes over six months) [ 10 ]. LVA also reduced thigh area hardness; however, limb circumference and pain were similar. All patients had undergone at least three months of CDT before randomization. The outcomes of this trial support our practice of offering LVA for patients with lymphedema and recurrent cellulitis. (See "Surgical treatment of primary and secondary lymphedema", section on 'Lymphatic bypass outcomes' .)

TRANSPLANTATION

Lung transplant outcomes for COVID-19 end-stage lung disease (September 2023)

COVID-19 end-stage lung disease is a new indication for lung transplantation with limited outcome data. Two groups have recently analyzed overlapping cohorts of approximately 400 patients who underwent lung transplantation in the United States for COVID-19-associated end-stage lung disease between March 2020 and August 2022 and who comprised almost 9 percent of all lung transplants performed during this time period [ 11,12 ]. Compared with other lung transplant recipients, these patients were generally younger and more likely to need mechanical ventilation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support before transplantation. Despite longer hospital stays, overall survival over the first 12 months was similar to that seen in patients who received lung transplantation for other causes (86 to 87 percent). Lung transplantation provides effective treatment for carefully selected patients with irreversible end-stage lung disease caused by COVID-19. (See "Lung transplantation: General guidelines for recipient selection", section on 'Lung disease due to COVID-19' .)

TRAUMA AND BURN SURGERY

Skin preparation prior to fracture repair (March 2024)

The optimal preparation of contaminated or dirty wounds and whether any skin preparation can influence surgical site infection (SSI) independent of other factors (eg, prophylactic systemic antibiotics) are unknown. In a multiple-period, cluster-randomized, crossover trial comparing skin preparation with iodine povacrylex in alcohol versus chlorhexidine gluconate in alcohol in 1700 open fracture repairs, the incidence of superficial or deep SSI was similar for both approaches [ 13 ]. Based on these findings, which are consistent with those from a previous trial, either chlorhexidine- or iodine-based skin preparations can be used prior to surgery for open, traumatic lower extremity wounds. (See "Surgical management of severe lower extremity injury", section on 'Limb preparation and skin antisepsis' .

Whole blood transfusion for severe traumatic hemorrhage (January 2024)

For severe traumatic hemorrhage, whole blood transfusion is an alternative to balanced component transfusion (1:1:1 ratio of packed red blood cells/plasma/platelets). In an observational study comparing these two approaches, low titer group O whole blood transfusion was associated with lower 24-hour mortality (8 versus 19 percent) and lower volume of blood products received at 72 hours (48 versus 82 mL/kg) [ 14 ]. The survival benefit was greatest in patients with shock or coagulopathy. While this study suggests improved outcomes for whole blood transfusion, randomized trials are needed to determine which transfusion strategy might be superior and which patients would benefit the most. (See "Ongoing assessment, monitoring, and resuscitation of the severely injured patient", section on 'Whole blood transfusion' .)

Tranexamic acid for burn wound excision (November 2023)

Randomized trials have established that tranexamic acid (TXA) reduces blood loss and transfusion requirements in various surgical settings, but data in burn surgery are limited. In a meta-analysis of observational studies evaluating intravenous and topical TXA in burn surgery, use of TXA was associated with reductions in blood loss, use of intraoperative transfusion, and number of units transfused but no change in venous thromboembolism or mortality rates [ 15 ]. Based on this review and data from other surgical settings, we routinely administer intravenous TXA for burn wound excisions over 20 percent of total body surface area. (See "Overview of the management of the severely burned patient", section on 'Coagulopathy' .)

No benefit of Cryoprecipitate in massive transfusion protocol for trauma (October 2023)

Cryoprecipitate is a source of fibrinogen; some institutions may include it in their massive transfusion protocols for trauma patients. In a new trial, 1604 trauma patients were randomly assigned to receive or not receive Cryoprecipitate in addition to a standard massive transfusion protocol [ 16 ]. Mortality at 28 days was comparable between the no Cryoprecipitate controls and the Cryoprecipitate group (26 versus 25 percent). This finding supports the practice of reserving Cryoprecipitate for patients with low fibrinogen levels. Transfusion medicine personnel and/or individuals with hemostasis expertise can help to determine the value for specific patients. (See "Cryoprecipitate and fibrinogen concentrate", section on 'Trauma' .)

VASCULAR AND ENDOVASCULAR SURGERY

Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibition for Raynaud phenomenon (January 2024)

Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors such as sildenafil and tadalafil are widely used to treat digital ischemia from Raynaud phenomenon. In an updated meta-analysis of nine randomized trials comprising 411 patients with Raynaud phenomenon (most of whom had scleroderma), treatment with PDE5 inhibition resulted in three fewer attacks weekly and a reduction in the average duration of the attacks by five minutes [ 17 ]. However, PDE5 inhibition led to minimal to no reduction in the pain associated with Raynaud phenomenon. This study implies that while PDE5 inhibition has a modest impact on the duration and frequency of Raynaud attacks, it might not be adequate to address all symptoms experienced by patients with severe disease. (See "Treatment of Raynaud phenomenon: Initial management", section on 'Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor' .)

Genes associated with an increased risk for Raynaud phenomenon (October 2023)

A genetic basis for Raynaud phenomenon (RP) is supported by family and twin studies, but robust evidence for specific causal genes has been lacking. A genome-wide association study has identified two candidate genes associated with an increased risk for RP: ADRA2A and IRX1 [ 18 ]. The potential role of these genes in the pathogenesis of RP requires further study. (See "Pathogenesis and pathophysiology of Raynaud phenomenon", section on 'Genetic factors' .)

OTHER SURGICAL SPECIALTIES

Moderate hypothermia during aortic arch surgery with antegrade cerebral perfusion (March 2024)

Observational data have supported a shift from deep to moderate hypothermia during circulatory arrest for aortic arch surgery, particularly with adjunctive antegrade cerebral perfusion (ACP). A recent trial has now compared outcomes for 251 patients undergoing aortic arch surgery with ACP and randomly assigned to deep (≤20.0°C), low-moderate (20.1 to 24.0°C), or high-moderate (24.1 to 28.0°C) circulatory arrest temperature [ 19 ]. At one-month follow-up, the three groups had similar neurocognitive and neuroimaging outcomes and similar mortality, major morbidity, and quality of life. The volume of transfused blood products was higher in the deep group, but transfusion-related complications were not different. Based on this trial, moderate (20.1 to 28.0°C) rather than deep hypothermia is reasonable during aortic arch surgery when ACP is also used. Whether a low-moderate or high-moderate temperature is selected depends on the anticipated duration of hypothermia. (See "Overview of open surgical repair of the thoracic aorta", section on 'Basic principles' .)

Complications of transrectal versus transperineal prostate biopsy (February 2024)

The merit of transrectal versus transperineal prostate biopsy has been vigoroulsy debated. In the first randomized trial comparing these procedures in over 760 patients undergoing biopsies in the office setting, the two approaches had similar rates of both infectious (2.6 versus 2.7 percent) and non-infectious (1.7 versus 2.2 percent) complications [ 20 ]. This suggests that both approaches can be performed with a low risk of complications. Antibiotic prophylaxis was given to all patients prior to transrectal biopsy but omitted in most patients undergoing transperineal biopsy. (See "Prostate biopsy", section on 'Transrectal versus transperineal biopsy' .)

Pregnancy and childbirth after urinary incontinence surgery (January 2024)

Patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) have historically been advised to delay midurethral sling (MUS) surgery until after childbearing because of concerns for worsening SUI symptoms following delivery. In a meta-analysis of patients with MUS surgery who were followed for a mean of nearly 10 years, similar low SUI recurrence and reoperation rates were reported for the 381 patients with and the 860 patients without subsequent childbirth [ 21 ]. Birth route did not affect the findings. Although the total number of recurrences and reoperations was small, this study adds to the body of evidence suggesting that subsequent childbirth does not worsen SUI outcomes for patients who have undergone MUS. (See "Surgical management of stress urinary incontinence in females: Retropubic midurethral slings", section on 'Subsequent pregnancy' .)

Tranexamic acid to reduce bleeding after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (December 2023)

Postoperative bleeding can occur after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) for kidney stone removal; most bleeding is venous in origin and can be managed with conservative measures. A recent meta-analysis of 10 randomized trials found that use of tranexamic acid (TXA), an antifibrinolytic agent used to reduce bleeding in other clinical settings, may reduce the risk of blood transfusion after PNL [ 22 ]. Most trials were conducted in low- to middle-income settings in populations that were younger than those in higher-income settings; whether these findings are generalizable to practice in higher-income settings is uncertain. Pending additional data, we do not routinely use TXA after PNL. (See "Kidney stones in adults: Surgical management of kidney and ureteral stones", section on 'Bleeding' .)

Choice of intervention for aortic stenosis with low surgical risk (November 2023)

The choice of intervention for severe aortic stenosis (AS) is based upon an individualized assessment by a multidisciplinary heart valve team. Two randomized trials reported outcomes for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in selected low surgical risk patients with severe AS [ 23,24 ]:

● In one trial in which nearly 1500 patients were randomly assigned to TAVI with a self-expanding valve or SAVR, rates of mortality, disabling stroke, and aortic valve rehospitalization at four years were similar in the two groups.

● In another trial in which 1000 patients were randomly assigned to TAVI with a balloon-expanding valve or SAVR, rates of mortality, stroke, and rehospitalization at five years were similar in the two groups.

These trials indicate generally favorable results for TAVI up to four and five years for selected low surgical risk patients with severe AS and anatomical suitability for TAVI; additional data, including longer-term outcomes, will further inform the choice of intervention in this clinical setting. (See "Choice of intervention for severe calcific aortic stenosis", section on 'In low-risk symptomatic patients' .)

No benefit to routinely adding vancomycin for prophylaxis before joint replacement (November 2023)

For preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis in patients undergoing joint replacement, vancomycin is sometimes added to cefazolin to empirically cover methicillin-resistant staphylococci. In a randomized trial of over 4000 patients undergoing joint replacement, the rate of surgical site infection was similar following prophylaxis with cefazolin plus vancomycin compared with cefazolin plus placebo (4.5 versus 3.5 percent) [ 25 ]. There were no differences in rates of infection due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or Staphylococcus epidermidis. We use cefazolin alone for prophylaxis in patients undergoing joint replacement who are not known to have MRSA colonization or infection. (See "Prevention of prosthetic joint and other types of orthopedic hardware infection", section on 'Antimicrobial prophylaxis' .)

Timing of prophylactic aortic surgery for patients with bicuspid aortic valve (October 2023)

The optimal timing for prophylactic aortic surgery for patients with a bicuspid valve (BAV) and ascending aorta diameters of 5.0 to 5.4 cm is uncertain. In a retrospective multicenter study including nearly 500 patients with BAV and aortic diameters in this range who were followed for a median of seven years, over one-half of the patients underwent elective aortic surgery, with an operative mortality rate of 1.9 percent [ 26 ]. Aortic dissection occurred during surveillance in 1.8 percent of the nearly 500 patients. These findings illustrate the risk trade-offs for early surgery versus surveillance for patients with BAV; a randomized trial is underway to compare these approaches in patients with ascending aorta diameters of 5.0 to 5.4 cm, including patients with BAV. (See "Bicuspid aortic valve: Intervention for valve disease or aortopathy in adults", section on 'Without high-risk features' .)

High-dose dual-antibiotic loaded cement does not reduce infection compared with low-dose single-antibiotic loaded cement in hip arthroplasty (September 2023)

The optimal dosing and effectiveness of antibiotic-loaded cement for hip arthroplasty is uncertain. In a randomized trial, high-dose dual-antibiotic-loaded cement did not reduce the incidence of deep surgical site infection after hip arthroplasty compared with low-dose single-antibiotic-loaded cement [ 27 ]. Based on this trial, when antibiotic cement fixation is selected for hip arthroplasty, available cement preparations that use a low-dose single antibiotic are adequate for reducing the risk of surgical site infection and also minimize the risk of fixation weakening associated with high-dose dual-antibiotic-loaded cement. (See "Total hip arthroplasty", section on 'Total hip arthroplasty implant design' .)

• DeMeester SR, Bernard L, Schoppmann SF, et al. Elective Laparoscopic Paraesophageal Hernia Repair Leads to an Increase in Life Expectancy Over Watchful Waiting in Asymptomatic Patients: An Updated Markov Analysis. Ann Surg 2024; 279:267.
• Lipping E, Saar S, Reinsoo A, et al. Short Postoperative Intravenous Versus Oral Antibacterial Therapy in Complicated Acute Appendicitis: A Pilot Noninferiority Randomized Trial. Ann Surg 2024; 279:191.
• Jalava K, Sallinen V, Lampela H, et al. Role of preoperative in-hospital delay on appendiceal perforation while awaiting appendicectomy (PERFECT): a Nordic, pragmatic, open-label, multicentre, non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2023; 402:1552.
• Early Breast Cancer Trialists' Collaborative Group (EBCTCG). Radiotherapy to regional nodes in early breast cancer: an individual patient data meta-analysis of 14 324 women in 16 trials. Lancet 2023; 402:1991.
• Badwe RA, Parmar V, Nair N, et al. Effect of Peritumoral Infiltration of Local Anesthetic Before Surgery on Survival in Early Breast Cancer. J Clin Oncol 2023; 41:3318.
• Nyanyo DD, Mikamoto M, Galbiati F, et al. Autoimmune Disorders Associated With Surgical Remission of Cushing's Disease : A Cohort Study. Ann Intern Med 2024.
• Pelsma ICM, Fassnacht M, Tsagarakis S, et al. Comorbidities in mild autonomous cortisol secretion and the effect of treatment: systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Endocrinol 2023; 189:S88.
• Li R, Liu L, Wei K, et al. Effect of noninvasive respiratory support after extubation on postoperative pulmonary complications in obese patients: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. J Clin Anesth 2023; 91:111280.
• Singh H, Avudaiappan M, Kharel J, et al. Negative pressure wound therapy versus standard care for incisional laparotomy subcutaneous wounds in gastrointestinal perforations: A randomized controlled study. Surgery 2023; 174:291.
• Mihara M, Hara H, Kawasaki Y, et al. Lymphatic venous anastomosis and complex decongestive therapy for lymphoedema: randomized clinical trial. Br J Surg 2024; 111.
• Okumura K, Jyothula S, Kaleekal T, Dhand A. 1-Year Outcomes of Lung Transplantation for Coronavirus Disease 2019-Associated End-Stage Lung Disease in the United States. Clin Infect Dis 2023; 76:2140.
• Tasoudis P, Lobo LJ, Coakley RD, et al. Outcomes Following Lung Transplant for COVID-19-Related Complications in the US. JAMA Surg 2023; 158:1159.
• PREP-IT Investigators, Sprague S, Slobogean G, et al. Skin Antisepsis before Surgical Fixation of Extremity Fractures. N Engl J Med 2024; 390:409.
• Shea SM, Mihalko EP, Lu L, et al. Doing more with less: low-titer group O whole blood resulted in less total transfusions and an independent association with survival in adults with severe traumatic hemorrhage. J Thromb Haemost 2024; 22:140.
• Fijany AJ, Givechian KB, Zago I, et al. Tranexamic acid in burn surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Burns 2023; 49:1249.
• Davenport R, Curry N, Fox EE, et al. Early and Empirical High-Dose Cryoprecipitate for Hemorrhage After Traumatic Injury: The CRYOSTAT-2 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA 2023; 330:1882.
• Maltez N, Maxwell LJ, Rirash F, et al. Phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors (PDE5i) for the treatment of Raynaud's phenomenon. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2023; 11:CD014089.
• Hartmann S, Yasmeen S, Jacobs BM, et al. ADRA2A and IRX1 are putative risk genes for Raynaud's phenomenon. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6156.
• Hughes GC, Chen EP, Browndyke JN, et al. Cognitive Effects of Body Temperature During Hypothermic Circulatory Arrest Trial (GOT ICE): A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Outcomes After Aortic Arch Surgery. Circulation 2024; 149:658.
• Mian BM, Feustel PJ, Aziz A, et al. Complications Following Transrectal and Transperineal Prostate Biopsy: Results of the ProBE-PC Randomized Clinical Trial. J Urol 2024; 211:205.
• Nahshon C, Abramov Y, Kugelman N, et al. The effect of subsequent pregnancy and childbirth on stress urinary incontinence recurrence following midurethral sling procedure: a meta-analysis. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2024; 230:308.
• Cleveland B, Norling B, Wang H, et al. Tranexamic acid for percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2023; 10:CD015122.
• Mack MJ, Leon MB, Thourani VH, et al. Transcatheter Aortic-Valve Replacement in Low-Risk Patients at Five Years. N Engl J Med 2023; 389:1949.
• Forrest JK, Deeb GM, Yakubov SJ, et al. 4-Year Outcomes of Patients With Aortic Stenosis in the Evolut Low Risk Trial. J Am Coll Cardiol 2023; 82:2163.
• Peel TN, Astbury S, Cheng AC, et al. Trial of Vancomycin and Cefazolin as Surgical Prophylaxis in Arthroplasty. N Engl J Med 2023; 389:1488.
• Ye Z, Lane CE, Beachey JD, et al. Clinical outcomes in patients with bicuspid aortic valves and ascending aorta ≥50 mm under surveillance. JACC Adv 2023; 2:100626.
• Agni NR, Costa ML, Achten J, et al. High-dose dual-antibiotic loaded cement for hip hemiarthroplasty in the UK (WHiTE 8): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2023; 402:196.

• Weill Cornell Medicine

Research Areas

As part of one the most prestigious academic medical centers in the country, the Department of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine undertakes a wide breadth of research each year and participates in both intramural and extramural collaborations.

The research areas highlighted below are just a few of topics we are actively studying. They are comprised of several high-priority programs represented by departmental laboratories dedicated to translational science so that patients can receive the best care possible.

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Critical care and trauma, metabolism and diabetes, stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, surgical innovation, transplant biology, vascular biology, wound healing, outcome research, find a physician.

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Surgery articles from across Nature Portfolio

Surgery is a procedure in which incision and physical manipulation are used to treat a patient with an injury or a disease. The patient's tissues are cut during this technique to permit the manipulation of tissues that are otherwise inaccessible.

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Latest Research and Reviews

Expansion of thyroid surgical territory through 10,000 cases under the da Vinci robotic knife

• Jin Kyong Kim
• Cho Rok Lee
• Woong Youn Chung

A randomized controlled study to assess the effect of mosapride citrate on intestinal recovery following gastrectomy

• Shiyeol Jun
• Sung Hoon Noh

The porcine islet-derived organoid showed the characteristics as pancreatic duct

• Naoaki Sakata
• Gumpei Yoshimatsu
• Shohta Kodama

Visual outcomes and complications of combined versus sequential pars plana vitrectomy and phacoemulsification for epiretinal membrane

• Yousef A. Fouad
• Mohamed K. Soliman
• Ahmed B. Sallam

Robotic kidney transplantation

Robot-assisted kidney transplantation is gaining momentum in kidney transplantation programmes as an alternative approach to patients with end-stage renal disease. In this Review, the authors provide an overview of available evidence on robot-assisted kidney transplantation, particularly in clinically challenging scenarios.

• Giuseppe Basile
• Alessio Pecoraro
• Alberto Breda

Ophthalmologists’ assessment of the handling characteristics of the novel Finesse Reflex Handle in comparison to those of a conventional handle

• Akinari Yamamoto
• Manabu Miyata
• Akitaka Tsujikawa

News and Comment

Commentary on “intermediate-term results of tachosil grafting to correct residual curvature during inflatable penile prosthesis implantation in patients with peyronie’s disease.”.

• Nicholas Gillman

Prolonged benefits of bariatric surgery for patients with Type 2 Diabetes

People with type 2 diabetes who underwent bariatric surgery compared to medical or lifestyle interventions had better long-term outcomes, such as greater diabetes remission and less reliance on medication.

• Sonia Muliyil

Ghattas modification of inflatable penile prosthesis: a proposed surgical technique for efficient penile prosthesis implantation

• Osama Ghattas
• Moustafa Gaber Menshawy

Non-inferiority of simple versus radical hysterectomy in low-risk cervical cancer

• Diana Romero

Organ trafficking — a continuing challenge

Global inequities and inequalities, human and health-care crises, transplantation successes in the face of limited organ availability, and desperate donors and recipients underlie the backstory of organ trafficking, namely the exploitation of the most vulnerable. Despite the framework set out by the Declaration of Istanbul for the ethical donation and transplantation of organs, organ trafficking remains a global challenge.

• Thomas F. Mueller
• Sanjay Nagral

Tabelecleucel is effective in EBV-positive lymphoproliferative disease

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Key Topics in Surgical Research and Methodology

• © 2010
• Thanos Athanasiou 0 ,
• Haile Debas 1 ,
• Ara Darzi 2

Dept. Biosurgery & Surgical Technology, Imperial College London St. Mary's Hospital London, London, United Kingdom

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UCSF Global Health Sciences, San Francisco L, USA

Comprehensive textbook on key issues in surgical research and methodology

Valuable resource for surgeons at all levels embarking on an academic career

Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

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Table of contents(74 chapters)

Front matter, the role of surgical research.

• Omer Aziz, John G. Hunter

Evidence-Based Surgery

• Hutan Ashrafian, Nick Sevdalis, Thanos Athanasiou

The Role of the Academic Surgeon in the Evaluation of Healthcare Assessment

• Roger M. Greenhalgh

Study Design, Statistical Inference and Literature Search in Surgical Research

• Petros Skapinakis, Thanos Athanasiou

Randomised Controlled Trials: What the Surgeon Needs to Know

• Marcus Flather, Belinda Lees, John Pepper

Monitoring Trial Effects

• Hutan Ashrafian, Erik Mayer, Thanos Athanasiou

How to Recruit Patients in Surgical Studies

• Hutan Ashrafian, Simon Rowland, Thanos Athanasiou

Diagnostic Tests and Diagnostic Accuracy in Surgery

• Catherine M. Jones, Lord Ara Darzi, Thanos Athanasiou

Research in Surgical Education: A Primer

• Adam Dubrowski, Heather Carnahan, Richard Reznick

Measurement of Surgical Performance for Delivery of a Competency-Based Training Curriculum

• Raj Aggarwal, Lord Ara Darzi

Health-Related Quality of Life and its Measurement in Surgery – Concepts and Methods

• Jane M. Blazeby

Surgical Performance Under Stress: Conceptual and Methodological Issues

• Sonal Arora, Nick Sevdalis

How can we Assess Quality of Care in Surgery?

• Erik Mayer, Andre Chow, Lord Ara Darzi, Thanos Athanasiou

Patient Satisfaction in Surgery

• Andre Chow, Erik Mayer, Lord Ara Darzi, Thanos Athanasiou

How to Measure Inequality in Health Care Delivery

• Erik Mayer, Julian Flowers

The Role of Volume–Outcome Relationship in Surgery

• Erik Mayer, Lord Ara Darzi, Thanos Athanasiou

An Introduction to Animal Research

• James Kinross, Lord Ara Darzi

The Ethics of Animal Research

• Hutan Ashrafian, Kamran Ahmed, Thanos Athanasiou

Ethical Issues in Surgical Research

• Amy G. Lehman, Peter Angelos
• Evidnece systhesis
• Translational Research
• colorectal cancer
• general surgery
• methodology
• neurosurgery
• quality of life
• vascular surgery

Dept. Biosurgery & Surgical Technology, Imperial College London St. Mary's Hospital London, London, United Kingdom

Thanos Athanasiou, Ara Darzi

Haile Debas

Book Title : Key Topics in Surgical Research and Methodology

Editors : Thanos Athanasiou, Haile Debas, Ara Darzi

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-71915-1

Publisher : Springer Berlin, Heidelberg

eBook Packages : Medicine , Medicine (R0)

Copyright Information : Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010

Hardcover ISBN : 978-3-540-71914-4 Due: 17 December 2009

Softcover ISBN : 978-3-662-51836-6 Published: 23 August 2016

eBook ISBN : 978-3-540-71915-1 Published: 28 February 2010

Edition Number : 1

Number of Pages : XXXI, 1019

Topics : Surgery , Gastroenterology , Endocrinology , Cardiac Surgery , Thoracic Surgery , Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

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Looking for research topics related to Medical-Surgical Nursing? this page might help you come up with ideas. Research topics are subjects or issues researchers are interested in when conducting research. A well-defined research topic is the starting point of every successful research project. Choosing a topic is an ongoing process by which researchers explore, define, and refine their ideas.

There are many research topics related to Medical-Surgical Nursing, depending on your specialization and interests. The topics below are only for guides. We do not encourage writing on any of them because thousands of people visit this page also to get an idea of what project topics to write on.

Medical-Surgical Nursing is a specialty nursing practice that focuses on the care of adult patients who are acutely ill, with different medical conditions or diseases, and those who are recovering from surgery (perioperative care). The primary purposes of research topics related to Medical-Surgical Nursing are to inform action, gather evidence for theories, and solutions to problems, and contribute to developing knowledge.

Research topics related to Medical Surgical Nursing

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• A Lifestyle Intervention Of Weight-Gain Restriction: Diet And Exercise In Obese Women With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
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• Academic Factors Affecting Learning At A Nursing College
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• An Analysis Of United Nations Conventions On Prevention And Control Of Narcotic Drugs And Psychotropic Substances
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• Bridging Sectors: Partnerships Between Nonprofits And Private Developers
• Challenges And Dilemmas Facing Community Development Corporations In The United States.
• Challenges Of Exclusive Breast Feeding Among Working Class Women
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Research Topics & Ideas: Nursing

50+ Nursing Research Topic Ideas To Fast-Track Your Project

Finding and choosing a strong research topic is the critical first step when it comes to crafting a high-quality dissertation, thesis or research project. If you’ve landed on this post, chances are you’re looking for a nursing-related research topic , but aren’t sure where to start. Here, we’ll explore a variety of nursing-related research ideas and topic thought-starters, including general nursing, medical-surgical nursing, pediatric nursing, obstetrics and gynaecological nursing, ICU and mental health nursing.

NB – This is just the start…

The topic ideation and evaluation process has multiple steps . In this post, we’ll kickstart the process by sharing some research topic ideas within the nursing domain. This is the starting point, but to develop a well-defined research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , along with a well-justified plan of action to fill that gap.

If you’re new to the oftentimes perplexing world of research, or if this is your first time undertaking a formal academic research project, be sure to check out our free dissertation mini-course. In it, we cover the process of writing a dissertation or thesis from start to end. Be sure to also sign up for our free webinar that explores how to find a high-quality research topic. 

Overview: Nursing Research Topics

• General nursing-related topics
• Medical-surgical nursing
• Pediatric nursing
• Obstetrics and gynaecological nursing
• ICU nursing
• Mental health nursing

General Nursing Research Topics & Ideas

• The impact of cultural competence on patient care in the UK
• The importance of evidence-based practice in nursing for patients with HIV/AIDS
• The effects of workplace stress on nurse well-being and performance
• The role of nurse-patient communication for patients transitioning from adolescent to adult care
• The impact of technology on nursing practice and patient outcomes
• The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in healthcare for the rehabilitation of patients post-surgery
• The effects of fatigue on nurse performance in the emergency room
• The impact of nurse staffing levels on patient outcomes in rural areas
• The effectiveness of nurse-led interventions in managing chronic conditions: a case study of diabetes
• The impact of patient-centred care on health outcomes for the elderly
• The importance of patient safety in nursing: bedside nurse vigilance
• The effects of empathy and compassion in critical care nursing
• The role of nursing in disaster preparedness and response: a case study of the Haiti earthquake of 2021
• The impact of the level of nursing education on patient outcomes
• The importance of ethical considerations in frail care nursing practice

Topics & Ideas: Medical-Surgical Nursing

• The impact of bedside care on patient outcomes in medical-surgical units
• The role of the nurse in managing post-operative patient pain
• The effects of nurse-patient ratios on patient outcomes in medical-surgical units
• A systematic review of different approaches to patient education in medical-surgical units
• The relationship between nurse-patient communication and patient satisfaction in medical-surgical units: perspectives and recommendations to improving patient satisfaction

Topics & Ideas: Pediatrics Nursing

• The impact of family-centered care on pediatric patient outcomes with sickle cell anemia
• The role of nursing interventions in promoting developmental and behavioral health in pediatric patients
• The effects of play therapy on anxiety and pain in pediatric patients during hospitilisation
• A systematic review of different approaches to pain management in pediatric cancer patients
• The relationship between parent involvement and post-operative patient outcomes in pediatric units

Ideas: Obstetrics and Gynecological Nursing

• The impact of nurse-led prenatal care on maternal and fetal outcomes in African American communities
• The role of the nurse in promoting sexual and reproductive health for women in the UK
• The effects of midwifery care on maternal satisfaction of primiparous women and birth outcomes
• A comparative study of different approaches to childbirth education for expectant mothers and partners: perceptions of control
• The relationship between lactation support and breastfeeding success of primiparous women

Topics & Ideas: ICU Nursing

• The impact of nursing interventions on patient outcomes in intensive care units in a developing country
• The role of the nurse in managing palliative and end-of-life care in the ICU
• The effects of family presence on patient outcomes and satisfaction in the ICU: A systematic review of the literature
• A comparative study of different approaches to pain management for trauma patients in the ICU
• The relationship between nurse-patient communication and geriatric patient outcomes in ICU

Topics & Ideas: Mental Health Nursing

• The impact of nurse-led therapy on adolescent patient outcomes in mental health settings
• The role of the nurse in promoting recovery and resiliency in mental health patients through group interventions
• The effects of mindfulness-based interventions on stress and anxiety in mental health patients: A systematic literature review
• A comparative study of the role of nurses in applying different approaches to patient education in mental health settings
• The association between nurse-patient therapeutic alliance and patient outcomes in mental health settings

Nursing Dissertation & Theses

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a nursing-related research topic, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses to see how this all comes together.

Below, we’ve included a selection of research projects from various nursing-related degree programs to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

• Nursing Workload and Interventions of Licensed Nurses in Nursing Homes: An Observational Time and Motion Study (Kang, 2021)
• Missed Nursing Care: Accounting for Education, Experience, and Job Satisfaction in Registered Nurses (Bechard, 2021)
• Examining Predictors of Attitudes and Knowledge of Registered Nurses and Nursing Students in Tennessee toward Pregnant and Perinatal Women with a Substance Use Disorder (Patrylo, 2021)
• A Program Evaluation of the Organizational Readiness for Pathway to Excellence at Two Community Hospitals  (Behling, 2021)
• The Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic Policy Decisions on the Wellbeing of Nursing Home Residents in Missouri (White, 2022)
• Battling A Parallel Pandemic: An Evaluation of Sustainable System-Level Nursing Support in Response To COVID-19 (Gifford, 2022)
• Holistic Nursing Process Maps: a Tool for Student Nurses to Operationalize the Nursing Process to Increase Clinical Reasoning (Reyes, 2022)
• Satisfaction and Work-Life Balance in Undergraduate Nursing Faculty: A Mixed-Methods Study (Crawford, 2021)
• The Effect of Mindfulness Meditation on the Stress, Anxiety, Mindfulness, and Self-Compassion Levels of Nursing Students (Heinrich, 2022)
• Effectiveness of Simulation-Based Case Studies in Undergraduate Nursing Students (Becnel, 2022)
• A Telehealth Simulation Experiment: Exploring Prebriefing (Owen, 2022)
• Perceptions of Lateral Violence Among Vocational Nursing Students, Associate Degree Nursing Students, and Bachelor’s Degree Nursing Students (Martha, 2022)
• Nurse Educators’ Description of Ethics from a Disciplinary Perspective: A Qualitative Descriptive Research Study (Cuchetti, 2022)
• A Literature Review of the Relationship Between Oral Health and Pneumonia Risk in the Geriatric Nursing Home Population (Swift, 2021)

Looking at these titles, you can probably pick up that the research topics here are quite specific and narrowly-focused , compared to the generic ones presented earlier. This is an important thing to keep in mind as you develop your own research topic. That is to say, to create a top-notch research topic, you must be precise and target a specific context with specific variables of interest . In other words, you need to identify a clear, well-justified research gap.

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If you’re still feeling a bit unsure about how to find a research topic for your nursing dissertation, thesis or research project, check out our private coaching services below.

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Current Topics in Surgical Research

This article is only available in the PDF format. Download the PDF to view the article, as well as its associated figures and tables.

This is the third volume of papers from the Association for Academic Surgery. The presentations which are included in the current book were delivered at the fourth annual meeting of the Association which was held in Denver in November 1970. This surgical society is composed of young, fulltime academic surgeons, less than 40 years of age when elected. The editors selected for publication 46 of the 64 papers that were delivered at the 1970 meeting.

The papers are primarily reports of clinical and laboratory research studies. The contents have been divided into sections, so that papers are grouped, approximately equally, into the following categories: I: Cardiovascular; II: Wound Healing and Shock; III: Neurosurgery; IV: Genitourinary; V: Transplantation; VI: Oncology; VII: Gastrointestinal and Biliary. The authors of the papers represent 39 teaching institutions in the United States and Canada and include most of the surgical specialties.

The quality of the presentations

Beal JM. Current Topics in Surgical Research. Arch Surg. 1972;104(2):229. doi:10.1001/archsurg.1972.04180020107028

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Read our research on: Abortion | Podcasts | Election 2024

Regions & Countries

What the data says about abortion in the u.s..

Pew Research Center has conducted many surveys about abortion over the years, providing a lens into Americans’ views on whether the procedure should be legal, among a host of other questions.

In a  Center survey  conducted nearly a year after the Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision that  ended the constitutional right to abortion , 62% of U.S. adults said the practice should be legal in all or most cases, while 36% said it should be illegal in all or most cases. Another survey conducted a few months before the decision showed that relatively few Americans take an absolutist view on the issue .

Find answers to common questions about abortion in America, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Guttmacher Institute, which have tracked these patterns for several decades:

How many abortions are there in the U.S. each year?

How has the number of abortions in the u.s. changed over time, what is the abortion rate among women in the u.s. how has it changed over time, what are the most common types of abortion, how many abortion providers are there in the u.s., and how has that number changed, what percentage of abortions are for women who live in a different state from the abortion provider, what are the demographics of women who have had abortions, when during pregnancy do most abortions occur, how often are there medical complications from abortion.

This compilation of data on abortion in the United States draws mainly from two sources: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Guttmacher Institute, both of which have regularly compiled national abortion data for approximately half a century, and which collect their data in different ways.

The CDC data that is highlighted in this post comes from the agency’s “abortion surveillance” reports, which have been published annually since 1974 (and which have included data from 1969). Its figures from 1973 through 1996 include data from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and New York City – 52 “reporting areas” in all. Since 1997, the CDC’s totals have lacked data from some states (most notably California) for the years that those states did not report data to the agency. The four reporting areas that did not submit data to the CDC in 2021 – California, Maryland, New Hampshire and New Jersey – accounted for approximately 25% of all legal induced abortions in the U.S. in 2020, according to Guttmacher’s data. Most states, though,  do  have data in the reports, and the figures for the vast majority of them came from each state’s central health agency, while for some states, the figures came from hospitals and other medical facilities.

Discussion of CDC abortion data involving women’s state of residence, marital status, race, ethnicity, age, abortion history and the number of previous live births excludes the low share of abortions where that information was not supplied. Read the methodology for the CDC’s latest abortion surveillance report , which includes data from 2021, for more details. Previous reports can be found at  stacks.cdc.gov  by entering “abortion surveillance” into the search box.

For the numbers of deaths caused by induced abortions in 1963 and 1965, this analysis looks at reports by the then-U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, a precursor to the Department of Health and Human Services. In computing those figures, we excluded abortions listed in the report under the categories “spontaneous or unspecified” or as “other.” (“Spontaneous abortion” is another way of referring to miscarriages.)

Guttmacher data in this post comes from national surveys of abortion providers that Guttmacher has conducted 19 times since 1973. Guttmacher compiles its figures after contacting every known provider of abortions – clinics, hospitals and physicians’ offices – in the country. It uses questionnaires and health department data, and it provides estimates for abortion providers that don’t respond to its inquiries. (In 2020, the last year for which it has released data on the number of abortions in the U.S., it used estimates for 12% of abortions.) For most of the 2000s, Guttmacher has conducted these national surveys every three years, each time getting abortion data for the prior two years. For each interim year, Guttmacher has calculated estimates based on trends from its own figures and from other data.

The latest full summary of Guttmacher data came in the institute’s report titled “Abortion Incidence and Service Availability in the United States, 2020.” It includes figures for 2020 and 2019 and estimates for 2018. The report includes a methods section.

In addition, this post uses data from StatPearls, an online health care resource, on complications from abortion.

An exact answer is hard to come by. The CDC and the Guttmacher Institute have each tried to measure this for around half a century, but they use different methods and publish different figures.

The last year for which the CDC reported a yearly national total for abortions is 2021. It found there were 625,978 abortions in the District of Columbia and the 46 states with available data that year, up from 597,355 in those states and D.C. in 2020. The corresponding figure for 2019 was 607,720.

The last year for which Guttmacher reported a yearly national total was 2020. It said there were 930,160 abortions that year in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, compared with 916,460 in 2019.

• How the CDC gets its data: It compiles figures that are voluntarily reported by states’ central health agencies, including separate figures for New York City and the District of Columbia. Its latest totals do not include figures from California, Maryland, New Hampshire or New Jersey, which did not report data to the CDC. ( Read the methodology from the latest CDC report .)
• How Guttmacher gets its data: It compiles its figures after contacting every known abortion provider – clinics, hospitals and physicians’ offices – in the country. It uses questionnaires and health department data, then provides estimates for abortion providers that don’t respond. Guttmacher’s figures are higher than the CDC’s in part because they include data (and in some instances, estimates) from all 50 states. ( Read the institute’s latest full report and methodology .)

While the Guttmacher Institute supports abortion rights, its empirical data on abortions in the U.S. has been widely cited by  groups  and  publications  across the political spectrum, including by a  number of those  that  disagree with its positions .

These estimates from Guttmacher and the CDC are results of multiyear efforts to collect data on abortion across the U.S. Last year, Guttmacher also began publishing less precise estimates every few months , based on a much smaller sample of providers.

The figures reported by these organizations include only legal induced abortions conducted by clinics, hospitals or physicians’ offices, or those that make use of abortion pills dispensed from certified facilities such as clinics or physicians’ offices. They do not account for the use of abortion pills that were obtained  outside of clinical settings .

(Back to top)

The annual number of U.S. abortions rose for years after Roe v. Wade legalized the procedure in 1973, reaching its highest levels around the late 1980s and early 1990s, according to both the CDC and Guttmacher. Since then, abortions have generally decreased at what a CDC analysis called  “a slow yet steady pace.”

Guttmacher says the number of abortions occurring in the U.S. in 2020 was 40% lower than it was in 1991. According to the CDC, the number was 36% lower in 2021 than in 1991, looking just at the District of Columbia and the 46 states that reported both of those years.

(The corresponding line graph shows the long-term trend in the number of legal abortions reported by both organizations. To allow for consistent comparisons over time, the CDC figures in the chart have been adjusted to ensure that the same states are counted from one year to the next. Using that approach, the CDC figure for 2021 is 622,108 legal abortions.)

There have been occasional breaks in this long-term pattern of decline – during the middle of the first decade of the 2000s, and then again in the late 2010s. The CDC reported modest 1% and 2% increases in abortions in 2018 and 2019, and then, after a 2% decrease in 2020, a 5% increase in 2021. Guttmacher reported an 8% increase over the three-year period from 2017 to 2020.

As noted above, these figures do not include abortions that use pills obtained outside of clinical settings.

Guttmacher says that in 2020 there were 14.4 abortions in the U.S. per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44. Its data shows that the rate of abortions among women has generally been declining in the U.S. since 1981, when it reported there were 29.3 abortions per 1,000 women in that age range.

The CDC says that in 2021, there were 11.6 abortions in the U.S. per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44. (That figure excludes data from California, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Hampshire and New Jersey.) Like Guttmacher’s data, the CDC’s figures also suggest a general decline in the abortion rate over time. In 1980, when the CDC reported on all 50 states and D.C., it said there were 25 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44.

That said, both Guttmacher and the CDC say there were slight increases in the rate of abortions during the late 2010s and early 2020s. Guttmacher says the abortion rate per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 rose from 13.5 in 2017 to 14.4 in 2020. The CDC says it rose from 11.2 per 1,000 in 2017 to 11.4 in 2019, before falling back to 11.1 in 2020 and then rising again to 11.6 in 2021. (The CDC’s figures for those years exclude data from California, D.C., Maryland, New Hampshire and New Jersey.)

The CDC broadly divides abortions into two categories: surgical abortions and medication abortions, which involve pills. Since the Food and Drug Administration first approved abortion pills in 2000, their use has increased over time as a share of abortions nationally, according to both the CDC and Guttmacher.

The majority of abortions in the U.S. now involve pills, according to both the CDC and Guttmacher. The CDC says 56% of U.S. abortions in 2021 involved pills, up from 53% in 2020 and 44% in 2019. Its figures for 2021 include the District of Columbia and 44 states that provided this data; its figures for 2020 include D.C. and 44 states (though not all of the same states as in 2021), and its figures for 2019 include D.C. and 45 states.

Guttmacher, which measures this every three years, says 53% of U.S. abortions involved pills in 2020, up from 39% in 2017.

Two pills commonly used together for medication abortions are mifepristone, which, taken first, blocks hormones that support a pregnancy, and misoprostol, which then causes the uterus to empty. According to the FDA, medication abortions are safe  until 10 weeks into pregnancy.

Surgical abortions conducted  during the first trimester  of pregnancy typically use a suction process, while the relatively few surgical abortions that occur  during the second trimester  of a pregnancy typically use a process called dilation and evacuation, according to the UCLA School of Medicine.

In 2020, there were 1,603 facilities in the U.S. that provided abortions,  according to Guttmacher . This included 807 clinics, 530 hospitals and 266 physicians’ offices.

While clinics make up half of the facilities that provide abortions, they are the sites where the vast majority (96%) of abortions are administered, either through procedures or the distribution of pills, according to Guttmacher’s 2020 data. (This includes 54% of abortions that are administered at specialized abortion clinics and 43% at nonspecialized clinics.) Hospitals made up 33% of the facilities that provided abortions in 2020 but accounted for only 3% of abortions that year, while just 1% of abortions were conducted by physicians’ offices.

Looking just at clinics – that is, the total number of specialized abortion clinics and nonspecialized clinics in the U.S. – Guttmacher found the total virtually unchanged between 2017 (808 clinics) and 2020 (807 clinics). However, there were regional differences. In the Midwest, the number of clinics that provide abortions increased by 11% during those years, and in the West by 6%. The number of clinics  decreased  during those years by 9% in the Northeast and 3% in the South.

The total number of abortion providers has declined dramatically since the 1980s. In 1982, according to Guttmacher, there were 2,908 facilities providing abortions in the U.S., including 789 clinics, 1,405 hospitals and 714 physicians’ offices.

The CDC does not track the number of abortion providers.

In the District of Columbia and the 46 states that provided abortion and residency information to the CDC in 2021, 10.9% of all abortions were performed on women known to live outside the state where the abortion occurred – slightly higher than the percentage in 2020 (9.7%). That year, D.C. and 46 states (though not the same ones as in 2021) reported abortion and residency data. (The total number of abortions used in these calculations included figures for women with both known and unknown residential status.)

The share of reported abortions performed on women outside their state of residence was much higher before the 1973 Roe decision that stopped states from banning abortion. In 1972, 41% of all abortions in D.C. and the 20 states that provided this information to the CDC that year were performed on women outside their state of residence. In 1973, the corresponding figure was 21% in the District of Columbia and the 41 states that provided this information, and in 1974 it was 11% in D.C. and the 43 states that provided data.

In the District of Columbia and the 46 states that reported age data to  the CDC in 2021, the majority of women who had abortions (57%) were in their 20s, while about three-in-ten (31%) were in their 30s. Teens ages 13 to 19 accounted for 8% of those who had abortions, while women ages 40 to 44 accounted for about 4%.

The vast majority of women who had abortions in 2021 were unmarried (87%), while married women accounted for 13%, according to  the CDC , which had data on this from 37 states.

In the District of Columbia, New York City (but not the rest of New York) and the 31 states that reported racial and ethnic data on abortion to  the CDC , 42% of all women who had abortions in 2021 were non-Hispanic Black, while 30% were non-Hispanic White, 22% were Hispanic and 6% were of other races.

Looking at abortion rates among those ages 15 to 44, there were 28.6 abortions per 1,000 non-Hispanic Black women in 2021; 12.3 abortions per 1,000 Hispanic women; 6.4 abortions per 1,000 non-Hispanic White women; and 9.2 abortions per 1,000 women of other races, the  CDC reported  from those same 31 states, D.C. and New York City.

For 57% of U.S. women who had induced abortions in 2021, it was the first time they had ever had one,  according to the CDC.  For nearly a quarter (24%), it was their second abortion. For 11% of women who had an abortion that year, it was their third, and for 8% it was their fourth or more. These CDC figures include data from 41 states and New York City, but not the rest of New York.

Nearly four-in-ten women who had abortions in 2021 (39%) had no previous live births at the time they had an abortion,  according to the CDC . Almost a quarter (24%) of women who had abortions in 2021 had one previous live birth, 20% had two previous live births, 10% had three, and 7% had four or more previous live births. These CDC figures include data from 41 states and New York City, but not the rest of New York.

The vast majority of abortions occur during the first trimester of a pregnancy. In 2021, 93% of abortions occurred during the first trimester – that is, at or before 13 weeks of gestation,  according to the CDC . An additional 6% occurred between 14 and 20 weeks of pregnancy, and about 1% were performed at 21 weeks or more of gestation. These CDC figures include data from 40 states and New York City, but not the rest of New York.

About 2% of all abortions in the U.S. involve some type of complication for the woman , according to an article in StatPearls, an online health care resource. “Most complications are considered minor such as pain, bleeding, infection and post-anesthesia complications,” according to the article.

The CDC calculates  case-fatality rates for women from induced abortions – that is, how many women die from abortion-related complications, for every 100,000 legal abortions that occur in the U.S .  The rate was lowest during the most recent period examined by the agency (2013 to 2020), when there were 0.45 deaths to women per 100,000 legal induced abortions. The case-fatality rate reported by the CDC was highest during the first period examined by the agency (1973 to 1977), when it was 2.09 deaths to women per 100,000 legal induced abortions. During the five-year periods in between, the figure ranged from 0.52 (from 1993 to 1997) to 0.78 (from 1978 to 1982).

The CDC calculates death rates by five-year and seven-year periods because of year-to-year fluctuation in the numbers and due to the relatively low number of women who die from legal induced abortions.

In 2020, the last year for which the CDC has information , six women in the U.S. died due to complications from induced abortions. Four women died in this way in 2019, two in 2018, and three in 2017. (These deaths all followed legal abortions.) Since 1990, the annual number of deaths among women due to legal induced abortion has ranged from two to 12.

The annual number of reported deaths from induced abortions (legal and illegal) tended to be higher in the 1980s, when it ranged from nine to 16, and from 1972 to 1979, when it ranged from 13 to 63. One driver of the decline was the drop in deaths from illegal abortions. There were 39 deaths from illegal abortions in 1972, the last full year before Roe v. Wade. The total fell to 19 in 1973 and to single digits or zero every year after that. (The number of deaths from legal abortions has also declined since then, though with some slight variation over time.)

The number of deaths from induced abortions was considerably higher in the 1960s than afterward. For instance, there were 119 deaths from induced abortions in  1963  and 99 in  1965 , according to reports by the then-U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, a precursor to the Department of Health and Human Services. The CDC is a division of Health and Human Services.

Note: This is an update of a post originally published May 27, 2022, and first updated June 24, 2022.

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Key facts about the abortion debate in America

Public opinion on abortion, three-in-ten or more democrats and republicans don’t agree with their party on abortion, partisanship a bigger factor than geography in views of abortion access locally, do state laws on abortion reflect public opinion, most popular.

About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts .

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Students lead new study on barriers facing Black medical students pursuing surgical residency

by Danielle Pereira, St. Michael's Hospital

A study led by fourth-year undergraduate medical students at the University of Toronto (U of T) is shedding light on the experiences of Black medical students in applying for a surgical residency in Canada.

In a study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons , co-lead authors Edgar Akuffo-Addo and Jaycie Dalson found few Black medical students are pursuing careers as surgeons in Canada due to lack of mentorship, prohibitive admission criteria and unsupportive working environments, among other factors.

The research team comprised a diverse group of Black medical students, along with senior author Dr. Jory Simpson, division head of general surgery at St. Michael's Hospital, a site of Unity Health Toronto.

The study was ongoing for two years and began with Simpson approaching U of T's Black Medical Students Association about the opportunity to do research to understand what was contributing to the low number of Black students pursuing careers in surgery.

"One thing the study showed was that Black medical students don't always have the same opportunity to get early exposure to surgery though things like mentorship, shadowing, and research," says Simpson. "I wanted to encourage them to lead this study and identify how the university can do better."

"All surgical residents get into their program based on merit, but I think it's important to equalize the process to get there—we have to work hard to have equality of opportunity," he adds.

The research team interviewed 27 Black participants in medical schools across Canada, including 18 medical students and nine surgical residents, to explore their experiences in pursuing and completing surgical residency in Canada.

We spoke with Akuffo-Addo and Dalson to learn more about the study findings and what changes they hope to see for the future.

What was it like to have the opportunity to be lead authors on this kind of research as undergraduate students?

EAA: In medical school , it's not uncommon to engage in research, but I think what was unique about this experience was the type of research because this took quite a bit of time—roughly two years. We were involved in getting Research Ethics Board approval and recruiting participants. It wasn't just U of T students that we talked to—we really tried to get that trans-Canadian story.

We know this problem exists, but in a Canadian context there wasn't really documented evidence of the problem. I liked the idea of being involved in the work that would provide evidence and hopefully propose some solutions that future generations would find useful.

JD: The main reason why I signed up to help with this study is because it was not what we would typically get to do and we would have the opportunity to interview these students. As a Black medical student, I felt a personal tie to these experiences.

The fact that there wasn't really any Canadian data, and we would actually be able to propose something and potentially contribute to some change, really made this a very interesting way to contribute.

What were some of your key takeaways from the study and was there anything you heard that surprised you?

JD: I think a big takeaway was really the word 'intersectionality' because all of our participants were Black, but those who are women face different issues or had different considerations for surgery than for the Black men in the study. Another example came from Muslim women who covered their head and had very specific experiences tied to that part of their identity, in addition to being Black.

Each individual participant, although they were all Black, really had a different reason or a different perspective in terms of what happened to them during their clerkship rotations and the type of discrimination they faced.

I think another big thing we looked at was the culture in surgery in general and how it affects everyone. Things like having a positive work environment, feeling comfortable being able to eat or go to the washroom, are pieces of feedback we heard and are things all students can experience. With that information, we were also able to suggest areas for improvement that can help everyone in general.

EAA: For me, one of the big key takeaways was the role mentorship played in the lives of our medical students, and even for young people wanting to pursue a health career and the value of mentorship.

I think something that surprised me a bit was that I had my own idea that finances would come up as more of a barrier because surgery is five years of study, so it's a bit longer deferring an income. It was interesting to learn that wasn't the case—the participants knew they would be adequately compensated in the future and were willing to train as surgeons if the working environments were right.

What do you think are the next steps from this research?

EAA: I think it would be good to start to see some admission reforms. Post-graduate programs tend to emphasize research as part of their admissions criteria, but our analysis found that Black medical students were more likely to have experience with more advocacy work.

Over time, it might be nice to acknowledge that research is important, but perhaps there are other forms of research that equally count and maybe remodeling admission criteria to include these elements.

JD: What's nice to see is that even over the two years of doing this research, we have started to hear of changes and mentorship opportunities that have come up.

I think it's important we continue to extend mentorship programs in smaller communities with an even smaller population of Black students who may feel more isolated in their training environments. It's great to grow mentorship programs in big cities like Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, but also making sure it extends to the other smaller schools and cities would be good to see going forward.

EAA: To echo what Jaycie said, I think over the two years we have started to see institutions trying to make changes. Even programs like The Next Surgeon program that Unity Health launched—those types of programs are really positive and I'm expecting them to have a really, really big impact in the near term future.

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