Frame-of-reference training for simulation-based intraoperative communication assessment.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Simulation
• Communication Skills Training

Background:

• Effective intraoperative communication is crucial for patient safety.
• Assessing surgical residents' communication skills requires reliable methods.
• Frame-of-reference (FOR) training may enhance rater accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of FOR training on assessing intraoperative communication.
• To identify specific communication deficits in surgical residents.
• To inform the development of surgical training curricula.

Main Methods:

• Simulation instructors received 2-hour FOR training on an operating room communication instrument.
• Trained instructors rated communication skills of 19 PGY1 residents during team-based simulations.
• Residents self-assessed skills via video review; inter-rater reliability and correlations were analyzed.

Main Results:

• High inter-rater reliability (0.91) was achieved post-FOR training.
• No significant correlation was found between trained raters' scores and resident self-assessments.
• Residents significantly underestimated their communication skills, particularly in using names, closed-loop communication, and information sharing.

Conclusions:

• FOR training allows for reliable assessment of resident communication performance.
• Residents tend to under-rate their own intraoperative communication skills.
• Identified low-rated skills require focused curriculum intervention.