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Abstract
Background: Immersive simulations can enable surgeons to learn complex sets of skills required for safe surgical practice without risk to patients. However, recruiting healthcare professionals to support surgeons training as members of an operating theatre (OT) team is challenging and resource intensive.
Aim: We developed a training programme for actors to take on the role of an OT team to support validation studies in a simulated environment. This article describes the evaluation of the programme.
Methods: The programme comprised of written materials, video discussion and experiential activities. Evaluation methods consisted of post-simulation interviews and questionnaires with actors and surgeons. Participants were recruited by convenience sampling. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and interviews were analysed using thematic extraction.
Results: Three actors participated in the programme. Twelve surgeons completed simulations. All data suggest that the training was successful. Actors were perceived as realistic. Suggestions were made to improve training.
Conclusion: After a brief training, actors can realistically portray members of an OT team in simulations designed to support surgeon training. This article highlights factors that contributed to success and suggests improvements. Although there are limitations with the study, its findings have relevance to training and assessment that focuses on individual clinician's functioning as a member of an OT team.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Eva S. Kassab
EVA KASSAB is a research psychologist at Imperial College London. Her research interests focus on developing further the distributed simulation environment for surgeons and the assessment of non-technical skills in surgical teams in real and simulated procedures.
Dominic King
DOMINIC KING is a Specialty Registrar in General Surgery in London and is undertaking a PhD in Behavioural Economics and Health Policy at Imperial College London.
Louise M. Hull
LOUISE HULL is a research psychologist at Imperial College London. Louise is currently undertaking a PhD looking at teamwork in the operating theatre.
Sonal Arora
SONAL ARORA is a General Surgery Registrar and Clinical Research Fellow, currently completing a PhD in simulation-based training of non-technical skills for surgeons.
Nick Sevdalis
NICK SEVDALIS is an Experimental Psychologist and currently a Lecturer in Patient Safety at Imperial College London. His research focuses on non-technical skills (communication, teamworking, leadership) in surgical teams, and decision-making in physicians and patients.
Roger L. Kneebone
ROGER KNEEBONE is a Reader in Surgical education at Imperial College London. His research focuses on simulation and the contextualisation of clinical learning, using innovative hybrids of models and simulated patients.
Debra Nestel
DEBRA NESTEL is Professor of Medical Education at Gippsland Medical School, Monash University. Her research interests are in clinical communication, simulation-based education, especially simulated patient methodology and in programme evaluation.