Public knowledge, awareness, perception and attitude towards robotic Surgery in Singapore

• Main Author: Lim, Klaryce Si Hui
• Other Authors: Thirumaran s/o Thanabalu
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: DRNTU::Science
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/72501
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Objective: Currently in Singapore, almost every hospital owns a robotic surgical system and information pertaining to robotic surgery can be found easily online. Despite its increasing clinical application, limited local studies have been performed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study being conducted in Singapore to gain insights on public’s level of knowledge, views and concerns regarding robotic surgery. Design, Setting & Participants: A survey was performed via self-administration and face-to-face interviews with Singaporeans aged 21 years and above, at a community hospital that performs robotic surgery. 500 responses were collected over a 10-week period. Results: There is a lack of public awareness and knowledge on robotic surgery. Almost 45% of participants had the misconception that surgical robots possess autonomous functions during surgery and majority of participants still prefer conventional surgery over robotic surgery. Conclusion: This pilot study serves to provide healthcare professionals and authorities with an insight on the status of robotic surgery in Singapore. Our findings may act as an important indicator for future direction of plans and studies in robotic surgery.