Advancing Medical Students' Non-technical Skills in a Group-Based Setting

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Teamwork Skills

Background:

• Non-technical skills (NTS) are crucial for preventing medical errors.
• Integrating NTS modules into undergraduate curricula is essential for effective communication and team functioning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the improvement of medical students' NTS performance in a group setting.
• To compare NTS performance across students from different countries.
• To evaluate students' perceptions of NTS training initiatives.

Main Methods:

• A pilot module incorporating simulation-based learning, constructive feedback, and objective assessment was designed.
• Senior medical students from EU universities participated in two surgical scenarios with two attempts each.
• Performance was evaluated using a modified Individual Teamwork Observation and Feedback Tool (iTOFT).

Main Results:

• Eighty students completed the study, showing a mean performance increase of 0.81 in trauma scenarios and 0.88 in ward round scenarios.
• Performance improvement was consistent across all participating countries (p > 0.05).
• Student feedback on the NTS module was overwhelmingly positive.

Conclusions:

• The developed NTS module effectively improves student performance and is well-received.
• This intervention is suitable for implementation in medical school curricula globally.
• The module design and iTOFT provide a foundation for future group-based NTS learning and assessment in medical education.