The SURG-TLX instrument is a valid tool for measuring surgical workload and categorizing the difficulty of procedures.
The present study provides support for the validity of the SURG-TLX instrument and also highlights the importance of considering how different stressors may load surgeons. Implications for categorizing the difficulty of certain procedures, the implementation of new technology in the operating room (man-machine interface issues), and the targeting of stress training strategies to the sources of demand are discussed. Modifications to the scale to enhance clinical utility are also suggested.
Wilson et al. (Thu,) studied this question.