Non-technical skills assessment in surgery

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Adverse surgical events underscore the critical role of non-technical skills (NTS) in healthcare.
• NTS are paramount in surgical oncology for multidisciplinary team collaboration and effective patient care planning.
• Current evaluation tools for surgical NTS lack standardization and consensus for training purposes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze and compare existing NTS evaluation tools used in surgery.
• To assess the formulation, validity, reliability, and feasibility of selected NTS assessment tools.
• To discuss the current application and future integration of NTS rating scales in surgical training.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of eleven articles on three NTS evaluation tools: NOTSS (Non Technical Skills for Surgeons), NOTECHS (Non Technical Skills), and OTAS (Observational Teamwork Assessment for Surgery).
• Analysis focused on scale formulation, validity, reliability, and feasibility of each tool.
• Discussion of the tools' current use in training and their potential in surgical curricula.

Main Results:

• The study identified and analyzed three prominent NTS evaluation tools: NOTSS, NOTECHS, and OTAS.
• Key aspects such as scale formulation, psychometric properties (validity, reliability), and practical feasibility were evaluated for each tool.
• The review highlighted the need for further research and consensus on standardized NTS assessment in surgical training.

Conclusions:

• Standardized evaluation and training of non-technical skills are crucial for improving surgical performance and patient safety.
• Further research is needed to validate and integrate tools like NOTSS, NOTECHS, and OTAS into surgical curricula.
• Incorporating these assessment tools into training and real-world operating room settings is essential for formative resident evaluation.