SURGICAL COACHING IN OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY: A MULTI-CENTRE PILOT PROJECT

Abstract

Objectives Surgical coaching has emerged as a new frontier of medical education. New evidence suggests that focused coaching in the operating room (OR) improves technical skill when compared to current residency training. Methods We wanted to develop the surgical coaching competency of faculty and resident members of our department through exposure to the Wisconsin Surgical Coaching Framework. We delivered a workshop jointly to faculty and residents at two academic hospitals. A pre-workshop survey was administered in order to assess awareness of the benefits of surgical coaching. Following the workshop, participants were asked to intentionally apply the Wisconsin Coaching Framework in the operating room using resident and staff physician dyads to evaluate the utility of the tool. Results A total of 28 staff Obstetricians & Gynecologists surveyed reported that time pressure, attitudes towards learners and case difficulty were the most commonly noted barriers to effective surgical coaching. Only 8% of staff physicians report having received formal training in coaching techniques. 67% of residents report pre-operative goals were rarely or never set and coaching of non-technical and cognitive skills rarely or never occurs. Post-intervention, over 90% of staff physicians and residents report setting goals with an increase in the frequency of teaching of non-technical skills. Conclusions In Obstetrics & Gynecology, our trainees have noted significant variation in the teaching skills of surgical teachers. A survey of our faculty and residents showed limited exposure to formal surgical coaching concepts. We have established a need and role for a formalized framework and language surrounding operating room teaching.