Coaching in Surgical Education

Abstract

Objective: The objectives of this study were to review the coaching literature to (1) characterize the criteria integral to the coaching process, specifically in surgery, and (2) describe how these criteria have been variably implemented in published studies. Background: Coaching is a distinct educational intervention, but within surgery the term is frequently used interchangeably with other more established terms such as teaching and mentoring. Methods: A systematic search was performed of the MEDLINE and Cochrane databases to identify studies that used coach/coaching as an intervention for surgeons for either technical or nontechnical skills. Study quality was evaluated using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI). Results: A total of 2280 articles were identified and after screening by title, abstract and full text, 35 remained. Thirteen coaching criteria (a-m) were identified in 4 general categories: 1. overarching goal (a. refine performance of an existing skill set), 2. the coach (b. trusting partnership, c. avoids assessment, d. 2-way communication), the coachee (e. voluntary participation, f. self-reflection, g. goal setting, h. action plan, i. outcome evaluation), and the coach-coachee rapport (j. coaching training, k. structured coaching model, l. non-directive, m. open ended questions). Adherence to these criteria ranged from as high of 73% of studies (voluntary participation of coach and coachee) to as low as 7% (use of open-ended questions). Conclusions: Coaching is being used inconsistently within the surgical education literature. Our hope is that with establishing criteria for coaching, future studies will implement this intervention more consistently and allow for better comparison and generalization of results.

Introduction to surgical coaching

“…Coaching has already become an established tool in the surgical education of medical students and trainees 6–8 . Yet in this review we will focus on coaching as a form of continued professional development (CPD).…”

“…Coaching has already become an established tool in the surgical education of medical students and trainees. [6][7][8] Yet in this review we will focus on coaching as a form of continued professional development (CPD). The current avenues for CPD include conference attendance, scientific reading, research and audit participation and simulation skills labs training.…”

Continued Performance Improvement—What Practicing Surgeons Can Learn From Athletes

“…Although coaching is gaining attention in the domain of surgery, the implementation of coaching programs remains inconsistent in the literature . Recently, nonprofit organizations, such as The Academy for Surgical Coaching (https://surgicalcoaching.org), have promoted a theoretical framework for surgical coaching and provide specific training for coaches.…”

“…2 Although coaching is gaining attention in the domain of surgery, the implementation of coaching programs remains inconsistent in the literature. 3 Recently, nonprofit organizations, such as The Academy for Surgical Coaching (https://surgicalcoaching.org), have promoted a theoretical framework for surgical coaching and provide specific training for coaches. Several wellstructured peer-coaching programs implemented in North America have demonstrated that surgical coaching is well accepted and could have benefits for technical and nontechnical skills.…”

Coaching for Surgeons: A Scoping Review of the Quantitative Evidence

“…Past reviews have included studies assessing coaching for surgeons in training, and have limited their scope to only include coaching interventions aiming to improve technical or nontechnical skills. 7 – 12 No previous review has evaluated coaching interventions for professional surgeons targeting any aspect of their professional skills or personal development. This scoping review aims to identify quantitative studies on coaching interventions for practicing surgeons to clarify how surgical coaching is defined, to analyze how these interventions are designed, implemented, and evaluated, and to illuminate relevant research gaps in the field.…”