Hilary McDermott

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About

Hilary McDermott’s research focuses on the intersection of health psychology, patient education, and surgical innovation, with a particular emphasis on understanding how patients perceive and accept emerging medical technologies. Her major contributions center on gender differences in attitudes toward robot-assisted surgery, revealing how informational needs and trust vary between men and women. In her highly cited 2019 study (67 citations), she demonstrated that while robot-assisted surgery offers clear clinical advantages—smaller incisions, reduced infection risk, and faster recovery—patient acceptance is shaped by psychological and demographic factors. Her 2024 work on robotic gynaecological surgery further explores how visual information and tailored communication can enhance patient decision-making. McDermott’s research has practical implications for improving preoperative counseling and informed consent processes. By bridging surgical innovation with patient-centered care, she has helped shape how clinicians communicate complex technological procedures. Her work is widely referenced in health communication and surgical education literature, and she continues to influence debates on how to align patient expectations with clinical realities.