Surgeons' Coaching Techniques in the Surgical Coaching for Operative Performance Enhancement (SCOPE) Program.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Performance Improvement

Background:

• Surgical coaching is emerging as a method to enhance surgeon performance.
• Effective methods for training surgeons in coaching skills are not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the coaching techniques employed by surgeons trained in a peer coaching program.
• To evaluate the application of coaching principles in surgical debriefings.

Main Methods:

• The Surgical Coaching for Operative Performance Enhancement (SCOPE) program involved 46 surgeons in peer coaching pairs.
• Participants attended a 3-hour workshop and received weekly reminders.
• Postoperative debriefings were analyzed for coaching principles (goal-setting, collaborative analysis, feedback, action planning) and performance topics (technical, nontechnical, teaching skills).

Main Results:

• Analysis of 8 debriefs revealed 326 coaching examples applying all 4 core principles.
• Constructive feedback and collaborative analysis were most frequent.
• Nontechnical skills were the primary focus (60%), followed by technical (32%) and teaching skills (8%).
• 90% of surgeons rated the training workshop as "good" or "excellent."

Conclusions:

• Short-term coach training programs can equip surgeons with effective peer coaching techniques.
• This approach supports performance improvement aligned with surgical practice and culture.