Coaching for Surgeons: A Scoping Review of the Quantitative Evidence

To characterize quantitative studies on coaching interventions for professional surgeons to understand how surgical coaching is defined; examine how different coaching programs are designed, implemented, and evaluated; and identify any relevant research gaps.

Surgical coaching is gaining attention as an approach that could help surgeons optimize performance and improve overall wellbeing. However, surgical coaching programs and definitions of coaching vary widely between studies.

A systematic literature search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CENTRAL, clinicaltrials.gov, and WHO ICTRP was conducted according to the PRISMA-ScR framework to identify studies and registered clinical trials written in English. Original quantitative studies on coaching interventions for professional surgeons were included. Characteristics of the coachees, coaching programs, study designs, outcomes, and findings were charted and analyzed.

From 2589 references, 8 studies (6 published; 2 registered trials) met inclusion criteria. Published studies targeted technical or nontechnical skills, included 2-26 surgeons as coachees, and used coaches who were surgeons. Two studies demonstrated that surgeons react positively to coaching. Studies showed inconsistent effects on technical/nontechnical skills. Only two studies measured patient adverse events and reported no significant positive impacts. The registered randomized trials targeted surgeons' physiological parameters or wellbeing and used professional coaches. These trials measure surgeon and patient outcomes.

There is an emerging interest in coaching programs to improve surgeons' performance by targeting their professional skills and personal factors. However, more randomized trials are needed to evaluate the impact of coaching interventions on patient outcomes and surgeon wellness.