Cross-sectional Analysis of Non-technical Attributes and Surgical Experience in Surgical Staff, Trainees and Applicants.

Healthy Volunteers Clinical Trial

Official title:

Non-technical Attributes and Surgical Experience: a Cross-sectional Study Comparing Communication Styles and Attitudes in Surgical Staff, Trainees and Applicants

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Enrolling by invitation

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT03728088
• Other study ID #: B670201628799
• Status: Enrolling by invitation
• Start date: September 1, 2016
• Est. completion date: June 2025

Study information

• Verified date: December 2023
• Source: University Ghent
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Observational

Clinical Trial Summary

This study consists of an analysis of the communication styles and attitudes towards risk and uncertainty (i.e. non-technical attributes) in a surgical population with varying clinical experience.

The study aims to investigate the differences and specific patterns in non-technical attributes that may be discerned in these groups and how these non technical attributes develop throughout surgical training.

Description:

This study evaluated the communication styles and attitudes towards risk and uncertainty in a population of surgical candidates (pre- and postgraduates), surgical trainees and surgical staff members, from the specialties of general surgery, orthopedics, urology and plastic surgery. After signing informed consent, participants complete an on-line questionnaire, which contains a set of validated tools.

Initially, a cross-sectional analysis of the non-technical attributes will be conducted, to identify any patters, similarities or differences between participant groups.

The study hypothesis is that significant differences can be observed in participant attributes, which relate to their clinical experience.

Additionally, surgical candidates who agree to participate in this study and are accepted for a surgical training in either general surgery, orthopaedics, urology or plastic surgery, will be invited to repeat the questionnaire at a 2-year interval, to investigate the evolution of their non-technical attributes throughout their training and to identify general patterns.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Enrolling by invitation
• Enrollment: 120
• Est. completion date: June 2025
• Est. primary completion date: June 2024
• Gender: All
• Age group: N/A and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participant is part of any of the following groups:

• Applicant for surgical training in general surgery, orthopedics, urology or plastic surgery.

• Trainee in general surgery, orthopedics, urology, plastic surgery.

• Staff in general surgery, orthopedics, urology, plastic surgery.

• Participant is active at Ghent University Hospital or an affiliated training hospital.

No exclusion criteria apply to this study.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Healthy Volunteers

Intervention

Other:
• Rating scales concerning non-technical attributes

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
n/a

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University Ghent

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Participant communication styles	Communication Styles Inventory-96 scale:Subdomains: Expressiveness (range: 1-5); Preciseness (range: 1-5); Verbal aggressiveness (range: 1-5); Questioningness (range: 1-5); Emotionality (range: 1-5); Impression manipulativeness (range: 1-5)	Rating scale is completed by all groups on study inclusion, after signing informed consent.
Primary	Participant attitudes towards uncertainty	Physicians' Reactions to Uncertainty (PRU) scale: Anxiety due to uncertainty (Range: 5-30; ); Concern about bad outcomes (3-18); Reluctance to disclose uncertainty to patients (Range: 5-30); Reluctance to disclose mistakes to physicians (Range 2-12)	Rating scale is completed by all groups on study inclusion, after signing informed consent. For the candidate group, this measure is repeated on a selection day during the surgical selection process, +- 1 - 2 months after study inclusion
Primary	Participant attitudes towards taking risks	Physicians' risk attitude (PRA) Scale (Range: 2-12)	Rating scale is completed by all groups on study inclusion, after signing informed consent. For the candidate group, this measure is repeated on a selection day during the surgical selection process, +- 1 - 2 months after study inclusion
Secondary	Participant perceived actual health status	Short Form-36 scale (Range: 10-50)	Rating scale is completed by all groups on study inclusion, after signing informed consent.