Li Felländer-Tsai

Li Felländer-Tsai

Professor/Senior Physician
Visiting address: ANA FUTURA, Alfred Nobels Alle 8, 14152 Stockholm
Postal address: H9 Klinisk vetenskap, intervention och teknik, H9 CLINTEC Ortopedi och bioteknologi, 141 52 Huddinge
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About me

  • Li Felländer-Tsai, MD, Dr Med Sc, was appointed full professor and senior consultant in orthopaedic surgery at Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital in 2006.

    Between May 1 2001 - March 31 2017 she was chairman at the Department KARO, later the Center for Surgical Sciences followed by the Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology which is a merger between the Center for Surgical Sciences and the Department of Clinical Science.

    Li Felländer-Tsai is director of the Center for Advanced Medical Simulation and Training (CAMST). As an orthopaedic surgeon she is active in orthopaedic research, education and training as well as advanced surgical and perioperative technology. She is past president of the European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (efort.org) and Deputy Editor of Acta Orthopaedica. Li Felländer-Tsai is past president of the Swedish Orthopaedic Association (2012-2016) and past president of the Nordic Orthopaedic Federation (2016-2018). She is past registrar and chairman of the Swedish ACL Register (National quality registry for cruciate ligament injuries). She chaired the process of Accreditation of the Center for Advanced Medical Simulation and Training as an American College of Surgeons Level I (Comprehensive) Educational Institute. In 2001 she was awarded Karolinska Institutets annual Pedagogical Prize. In 2017 she was appointed honorary member of the Swedish Orthopaedic Association and in 2023 she was appointed honorary member of the European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (EFORT). Li Felländer-Tsai has served as expert reviewer for e.g. The Swiss National Science Foundation, The Norwegian Research Council, Oslo University, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen Health Science Partners, Tampere University, Oulu University and Tartu University. She has been scientific advisor for Malin and Lennart Philipson Foundation. Li Felländer-Tsai has previously been consultant orthopaedic surgeon for the Cullberg Ballet Company.

    Education
    MD Karolinska Institutet 1991

    Dr Med Sc Karolinska Institutet 1992

    Appointed associate professor at Karolinska Institutet 1996

    Internship and residency in orthopaedic surgery 1992-1999

    Board certified orthopaedic surgeon 1999

    Fellow with professor Lyle Micheli, Childrens Hospital Harvard University, during spring 1996

    Consultant in Orthopaedic surgery 1999-2006

    Appointed full professor and senior consultant in orthopaedic surgery at Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital 2006

Research

  • ​​​​Muscoloskeletal disease and trauma:

    Li Felländer-Tsais research focuses on recovery after injury and surgery of the musculoskeletal system, rehabilitation and also tissue metbolism. She has developed and implemented a technique for monitoring of synovial tissue metabolism and inflammation with intraoperative and postoperative microdialysis. Other fields of her research include trauma and tissue regeneration.

    Her research includes epidemiological aspects of trauma and surgery.

    The goal is optimal pain relief and healing with good joint function, minimizing adverse long term effects including osteoarthritis.

    Advanced medical simulation and training:

    The vision of this research field is to create a new de-facto standard for training technical and non technical skills (team behaviour) in high stakes healthcare with advanced medical simulators, where ergonomic principles are followed, and thus optimize patient safety. The aim is also to develop valid and reliable training and assessment instruments for technical skills so that individual training programs can be developed in which individual factors such as working memory and visuospatial ability can be targeted. When valid measures of team behavior and surgical skills are established, these can be translated into evidence-based training and education with both theory and practice. The ultimate goal is advanced state-of-the-art courses for trainers ( "train the trainer" course) with modern principles of both team training and advanced skills training. By training instructors and teachers the next generation of healthcare professionals will improve skills and attitudes in favour of patient safety.

Teaching

  • She has supervised 16 completed PhD theses at Karolinska Institutet and served as external examiner (opponent) for numerous PhD theses both in Sweden and internationally.

Articles

All other publications

Grants

  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2026 - 31 December 2029
    Trauma is a massive global health issue. Many training programmes have been developed to help physician in the initial management of trauma patients. Advanced Trauma Life Support® (ATLS®) is the most popular of these programmes and have been used to train over one million physicians worldwide. Despite its widespread use, there are no controlled trials showing that ATLS® improves patient outcomes. Multiple systematic reviews stress the need for such trials.We conduct a batched stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial with the aim to compare the effects of ATLS® training with standard care on outcomes in adult trauma patients. Cluster will be units of physicians in hospitals in India. We will roll out the intervention of ATLS® training to 30 clusters organised in four batches. Within each batch, clusters will be randomised to one of five implementation sequences. We expect a sample size of at least 4,320 patients over five years.This is a collaborative project between researchers and institutions in Sweden, India, and the United Kingdom. Our research will be important regardless of whether the results are positive or negative. If we show that ATLS® improves patient outcomes then ATLS® should be promoted to save lives and reduce morbidity. If we show that ATLS® does not improve patient outcomes then this should impact how trauma life support training is delivered and new course concepts may be needed.
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2024 - 31 December 2027
    Trauma is a massive global health issue. Many training programmes have been developed to help physicians in the initial management of trauma patients. Advanced Trauma Life Support® (ATLS®) is the most popular of these programmes and have been used to train over one million physicians worldwide. Despite its widespread use, there are no controlled trials showing that ATLS® improves patient outcomes. Multiple systematic reviews stress the need for such trials. We will conduct a batched stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial with the aim to compare the effects of ATLS® training with standard care on outcomes in adult trauma patients. Cluster will be hospitals in India. We will roll out the intervention of ATLS® training to 32 clusters organised in four batches. Within each batch, clusters will be randomised to one of eight implementation sequences. We expect a sample size of 6528 patients over five years.This is a collaborative project between researchers and institutions in Sweden, India, and the United Kingdom. Our research will be important regardless of whether the results are positive or negative. If we show that ATLS® improves patient outcomes then ATLS® should be promoted to save lives and reduce morbidity. If we show that ATLS does not improve patient outcomes then this should impact how trauma life support training is delivered and new course concepts may be needed.
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 December 2020 - 31 December 2022
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2017 - 31 December 2020
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2013 - 31 December 2016
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2011 - 31 December 2013

Employments

  • Professor/Senior Physician, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, 2006-
  • Clinical Position, ME Trauma, akutkirurgi och ortopedi, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset

Degrees and Education

  • Dr Med Sc, Karolinska Institutet, 1992
  • University Medical Degree, Karolinska Institutet, 1991

Distinction and awards

  • Appointed honorary member, The European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (EFORT), 2023
  • Appointed honorary member, The Swedish Orthopaedic Association, 2017
  • The Pedagogical Prize, Karolinska Institutet, 2001
  • The outstanding young persons of the world (TOYP), In the category academic leadership and research, Sweden., 1998

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