Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Oct:130:e726-e736.
doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2019.06.204. Epub 2019 Jul 5.

Nontechnical Skills in Neurosurgery: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Affiliations
Free article

Nontechnical Skills in Neurosurgery: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Pierre-Louis Hénaux et al. World Neurosurg. 2019 Oct.
Free article

Abstract

Background: Undesirable events in the neurosurgery operating theater have less often been the result of a technical error than of a dysfunction linked to nontechnical skills (NTSs). The essential aim of our study was to perform a systematic review of the reported data on NTS in neurosurgery. Our secondary objective was to identify the NTSs more specific to neurosurgery to define the training needs of neurosurgery trainees.

Methods: The MEDLINE and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched according to the PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis) guidelines. The search initially identified 2132 reports, of which 21 were eligible for systematic study. Data were extracted from the report regarding study design, sample size, NTSs assessed, and assessment tools, and the key results were collected.

Results: Interpersonal skills (communication, teamwork), cognitive skills (decision making, situational awareness), and personal resource factors (coping with stress or fatigue) were specifically identified. No study had used assessment tools such as NOTECHS (nontechnical skills), NOTSS (nontechnical skills for surgeons), or OTAS (observational teamwork assessment for surgery). They were performed in a real environment in 11 cases, in a simulated environment in 9, and during theoretical teaching in 1 case.

Conclusions: Very few studies have been performed concerning neurosurgical NTSs, despite the increasing the number of studies during the past few years on NTSs in other domains of surgery. Society has been concentrating more and more on the quality and safety of medical care. The development and application of NTS assessment tools is, therefore, essential to provide assistance in the training of future neurosurgeons.

Keywords: Cognitive skills; Interpersonal skills; Neurosurgery; Nontechnical skills; Patient safety.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types