Clinical trial NCT03728088: Cross-sectional Analysis of Non-technical Attributes and Surgical Experience in Surgical Staff, Trainees and Applicants.
Official title: Non-technical Attributes and Surgical Experience: a Cross-sectional Study Comparing Communication Styles and Attitudes in Surgical Staff, Trainees and Applicants
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION
Conditions: Healthy Volunteers
Keywords: Non-technical attributes
Surgical training
Communication style
Risk aversion
Reaction to uncertainty
Self-assessment
Lead sponsor: University Ghent
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2018-11-01
Enrollment: 120
Sex: ALL
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Observational model: CASE_ONLY
Time perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Candidates applying for a surgical specialty (general surgery, orthopaedics, urology, plastic surgery); trainees in one of these surgical specialties; staff members in one of these surgical specialties.

Brief 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.

Detailed 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.

Eligibility criteria: 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.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Participant communication styles
timeFrame: Rating scale is completed by all groups on study inclusion, after signing informed consent.
measure: Participant attitudes towards uncertainty
timeFrame: 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
measure: Participant attitudes towards taking risks
timeFrame: 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 outcomes:
measure: Participant perceived actual health status
timeFrame: Rating scale is completed by all groups on study inclusion, after signing informed consent.
Other outcomes:
Locations:
Study officials:
affiliation: Vascular surgeon
name: Isabelle Van Herzeele, MD, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: