Improving Surgical Excellence: Can Coaching Surgeons Improve Patient Engagement?

Abstract

Introduction Non‐technical skills complement technical skills in surgeons to provide best possible care for patients. The former is essential to promote patient engagement. Coaching has been introduced to surgeons as a method to improve non‐technical skills. We aimed to investigate the impact of coaching for surgeons on patient engagement in the outpatient consultation setting. Methods This was a single‐centre cohort study conducted in South Australia. Consultant surgeons, suitable coaches, and patients were recruited. Coaches underwent further training by a human factors psychologist on being an effective coach. Outpatient consultations were recorded in an audio‐visual format and analysed by investigators. Patient talking time, mutual eye gaze between surgeon and patient, and number of questions asked by the patient were measured as outcomes for patient engagement. Results 182 patients, 12 surgeons, and 4 coaches participated in the study. Each surgeon underwent 3 coaching sessions, 5 to 6 weeks apart. There were 62 pre‐coaching patient consultations, 63 patient consultations after one coaching session, and 57 patient consultations after two coaching sessions. The mean talking time of the patient increased significantly after a single coaching session (P < 0.05) without making significant difference to the total consultation time (p = 0.76). Coaching sessions did not have a significant effect on mutual eye gaze or mean number of questions asked by the patient. Conclusion Coaching of non‐technical skills for surgeons appears to objectively improve patient engagement during the outpatient consultation. This would suggest that tailored coaching programs should be developed and delivered to surgeons to improve care delivery.

Learning as a Surgeon is Lifelong: Why Every Surgeon Needs a Coach

“…Ting et al [1] employed video-based observations for their study. This avoided issues with image and authority on the part of the surgeon.…”

“…I read with interest the article by Ting et al [1] in this issue entitled: ''Improving surgical excellence: can surgical coaching improve patient engagement?'' The authors employed four coaches, each with at least 15 years of experience as a surgeon and recent completion of a coaching course, led by an experienced psychologist.…”