The development of a tool to assess medical students’ non-technical skills – The Norwegian medical students’ non-technical skills (NorMS-NTS)

Abstract

Purpose

New physicians need to master non-technical skills (NTS), as high levels of NTS have been shown to increase patient safety. It has also been shown that NTS can be improved through training. This study aimed to establish the necessary NTS for Norwegian medical students to create a tool for formative and summative assessments.

Methods

Focus group interviews were conducted with colleagues and patients of newly graduated physicians. Interviews were then analyzed using card sort methods, and the identified NTS were used to establish a framework. Focus groups commented on a prototype of an NTS assessment tool. Finally, we conducted a search of existing tools and literature. The final tool was developed based on the combined inputs.

Results

We created Norwegian medical students’ non-technical skills (NorMS-NTS) assessment tool containing four main categories; together comprising 13 elements and a rating scale for the NTS of the person observed.

Conclusions

The NorMS-NTS represents a purpose-made tool for assessing newly graduated physicians’ NTS. It is similar to existing assessment tools but based on domain-specific user perspectives obtained through focus group interviews and feedback, integrated with results from a literature search, and with consideration of existing NTS tools.

Keywords:

• Non-technical skills
• medical students
• assessment tool
• medical education

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Glossary

NTS: Non-technical skills.

NorMS-NTS: Norwegian Medical Students Non-Technical-Skills.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Northern Norway Regional Health Authority (Ref: HNF1368-17).

Notes on contributors

Katrine Prydz

Katrine Prydz, MD, is a specialist in general practice and a PhD candidate at Department of Clinical Medicine, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, Hammerfest, Norway.

Peter Dieckmann

Peter Dieckmann, PhD, Psychologist and Senior Scientist at Copenhagen Academy for Medical Education and Simulation (CAMES). His research on simulation addresses the theoretical foundations and practice of using simulation to create, recognize and use learning opportunities for simulation learners and faculty members in different context. Peters research with simulation focuses to explore simulation’s possibilities to optimize worksystems. Beyond simulation, Peter investigates issues of the practice of patient safety work, psychological safety, medication safety, and visual research methods.

David Musson

David Musson, MD, PhD, currently is an Associate Professor at McMaster university and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. He does research in space medicine, decision support, human factors, expert systems, applied social psychology, and medical training.

Torben Wisborg

Torben Wisborg, MD, PhD, is a professor of anesthesia and consultant anesthetist. He is also research director for the Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Trauma. He did his PhD on trauma team training based on 10 years of experience training trauma teams in Norway and northern Iraq. Main research interests are trauma systems, trauma teams and trauma team training, including simulation.