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. 2021 Jul-Aug;78(4):1097-1102.
doi: 10.1016/j.jsurg.2020.12.006. Epub 2020 Dec 23.

A Novel Operative Coaching Program for General Surgery Chief Residents Improves Operative Efficiency

Xiaodong Phoenix Chen  1 , Amalia Cochran  2 , Alan E Harzman  2 , E Christopher Ellison  2
Affiliations

A Novel Operative Coaching Program for General Surgery Chief Residents Improves Operative Efficiency

Xiaodong Phoenix Chen et al. J Surg Educ. 2021 Jul-Aug.

Abstract

Introduction: We evaluated the effect of an operative coaching (OC) model on general surgery chief residents' operative efficiency (OE) measured by operative times. We hypothesized that higher levels of entrustment surgeons intend to offer resident in future similar cases are associated with improved OE.

Materials and methods: From July 2018 to June 2019, we used a validated instrument to score prospective resident entrustment in 228 evaluations of 6 chief residents during 12 OC sessions each (3 lap colectomy, 3 lap cholecystectomy, 3 ventral hernia, 3 inguinal hernia). Operative times of matched case CPT codes performed by coached chiefs (N = 500) were matched via CPT code to the cases of uncoached chiefs in the academic year 2016-2017 (N = 478). Statistical analysis was performed using Pearson correlation and one-way ANOVA.

Results: Prospective entrustment scores from coached chief residents were associated with significantly shorter operative times in matched complex cases (CC) (r = -0.58, p = 0.0047). A similar trend was observed in noncomplex cases (NCC) (r = -0.29, p = 0.18). Compared to the historical cohort, coached chief residents showed a decrease in mean operative time during complex cases (p = 0.0008, d = 0.44), but an increase in mean operative times for noncomplex cases (p < 0.0001, d = 0.33).

Conclusions: An OC model improves chief residents' prospective entrustment leading to increased OE in cases with greater levels of operative complexity, showing a decrease in mean operative time compared to uncoached residents in certain procedures. This is the first report showing formal coaching may be a method to enhance chief resident OE.

Keywords: Coaching; entrustment; operative efficiency; operative time; resident training.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare they have no competing interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Correlations between Prospective Entrustment and Operative Time of Coached Cases. CC cases: r=−0.58, p=0.0047; NCC cases: r=−0.29, p=0.18.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Conceptual Relationship between Operative Coaching and Operative Efficiency
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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