Background
A surgical team often consists of an experienced surgeon and surgeons in training.
This project quantified the contribution of the experienced surgeon to the teamwork
in a team comprised of 1 experienced and 1 novice surgeon (Mixed Team).
Methods
An experienced and a novice surgeon in a Mixed Team were required to complete a peg
transportation task and an intracorporeal suture task collaboratively. Tasks were
evaluated by a summative score (up to 100 points) that was calculated on task speed
and accuracy. Performances of 24 Mixed Teams were compared to 24 Novice Teams (each
composed of 2 novices) and 8 Expert Teams (each composed of 2 experienced surgeons).
Results
The Mixed Teams performed better (67.6 points) than the Novice Teams (51.3; P < .001) but worse than the Expert Teams (88.3; P < .001). When examining individual performance in the Mixed Teams, we observed that
experienced surgeons maintained their superior performance like they did in the Expert
Teams (P = .153). Novices in the Mixed Teams, however, showed markedly better performances
than they did in the Novice Teams (P = .024).
Conclusion
Instant guidance and instruction from experienced surgeons inspire novices’ performance,
providing a foundation for surgical teamwork effectiveness.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 25, 2011
Accepted:
November 16,
2010
Footnotes
Supported in part by research grants from the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES).
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 Mosby, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
