Targeted surgical coaching can improve operative self-assessment ability: A single-blinded nonrandomized trial

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of targeted surgical coaching on self-assessment of laparoscopic operative skill. Accurate self-assessment is vital for autonomous professional development. Surgical coaching can be used for performance improvement, but its role in this domain has been insufficiently investigated.

This was a single site, nonrandomized, interrupted time series design trial. Participants were residents, fellows, and attending surgeons regularly performing laparoscopic general surgery operations. Each participant was enrolled in an individualized coaching program using review of personal and peer laparoscopic videos. The program involved 3 to 5 sessions over a period of 6 to 19 weeks. Coaching used case debriefing to target self-assessment proficiency, with a focus on objective interpretation of observations and facilitative capacity building. The primary outcome measure was self-assessment accuracy and correlation to expert ratings. The Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill global rating scale was utilized for evaluation.

Twelve participants were recruited and completed the coaching program. At baseline, there was no correlation between self-assessment and expert ratings. After completion of the coaching program there was correlation between self-assessment and expert ratings (P = .003) and improved self-assessment accuracy compared to baseline (P = .041).

This study has demonstrated that targeted coaching using video review of laparoscopic cases can improve operative self-assessment accuracy using the Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill.