Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 18, 2026
Simulator Training for Endovascular Neurosurgery
Published on: May 6, 2020
Frame-of-reference training for simulation-based intraoperative communication assessment
Aimee K Gardner1, Michael A Russo2, Ibrahim I Jabbour3
1Department of Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
Background:
The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of frame-of-reference (FOR) training on assessments of intraoperative communication skills and identify areas of need to inform curricular efforts.
Methods:
Simulation instructors (M.D., Ph.D., Research Fellow, Simulation Technician) underwent a 2-hour FOR training session with the operating room communication instrument. They then independently rated communication skills of 19 PGY1s who participated in a team-based simulation. Residents completed self-assessments via video review of the scenario. Intraclass correlation coefficients were used to examine inter-rater reliability. Relationships between trained raters and resident scores were assessed with Pearson correlation coefficients and paired sample t tests.
Results:
Inter-reliability after FOR training was .91. The correlation between trained rater scores and resident evaluations was nonsignificant. Residents significantly underestimated their intraoperative communication skills (P < .05). Use of names, closed loop communication, and sharing information with team members demonstrated consistently low ratings among all residents.
Conclusions:
These findings reveal that a number of individuals can be trained to reliably rate resident intraoperative communication performance and that residents tend to under-rate their communication skills.
