Simulation-Based Communication Training for General Surgery and Obstetrics and Gynecology Residents

There is a critical relationship between team communication and patient safety in the operating room (OR), but limited opportunities are available to help OR trainees develop the communication skills needed to be good team players. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a simulation-based communication-training program developed for general surgery and obstetrics and gynecology residents.

Following a group lecture on diagnostic laparoscopy, 34 residents independently completed a laparoscopy case on a patient simulator followed by a structured debrief that targeted team-based communication skills. Integrated into the case were 2 events (bradycardia and OR fire) that provided additional opportunities for the resident to communicate with his/her team. The mean Likert scale score for 11 post-training survey questions were calculated to determine residents' reaction to the training. Additionally, mean scores of observer ratings of communication performance after the simulation were calculated and analyzed using separate Wilcoxon Sign-Rank tests and kappa statistics.

Of the 41 GS and ObGyn residents, 34 (83%) participated in the training. 18 (53%) residents completed the simulation once and 16 (47%) completed it twice. Overall, residents had a positive reaction to the training program (average survey score = 4.56 of 5) and participation in the program improved their ability to use effective communication techniques during the bradycardia and OR fire events (p < 0.05, κ = 0.61).

Residents had a positive reaction to the training program and participation in the program improved their ability to use effective communication techniques throughout the procedure.