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

December 1, 2023 updated by: University Ghent

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

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.

Study Overview

Status

Enrolling by invitation

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

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.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

120

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

N/A

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.

Description

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.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Surgical Candidates

Under- and postgraduate candidates applying for surgical training in general surgery, orthopedics, urology or plastic surgery at Ghent University Hospital.

All candidates will complete the rating scales concerning non-technical attributes in the period prior to the surgical selections.
Other: Rating scales concerning non-technical attributes
Other Names:
  • Communication styles inventory (CSI-96) rating scale
  • Physician's reactions towards uncertainty (PRU) rating scale
  • Physicians's risk attitudes (PRA) rating scale
Surgical trainees

Surgical trainees active in general surgery, orthopaedics, urology or plastic surgery, at Ghent University Hospital or an affiliated non-academic training hospital.

All trainees will be invited to participate in the study. Trainees who agree to participate will complete the rating scales concerning non-technical attributes.
Other: Rating scales concerning non-technical attributes
Other Names:
  • Communication styles inventory (CSI-96) rating scale
  • Physician's reactions towards uncertainty (PRU) rating scale
  • Physicians's risk attitudes (PRA) rating scale
Surgical staff

Surgical staff members active in general surgery, orthopaedics, urology or plastic surgery, at Ghent University Hospital.

All surgical staff members will be invited to participate in the study. Surgical staff members who agree to participate will complete the rating scales concerning non-technical attributes.
Other: Rating scales concerning non-technical attributes
Other Names:
  • Communication styles inventory (CSI-96) rating scale
  • Physician's reactions towards uncertainty (PRU) rating scale
  • Physicians's risk attitudes (PRA) rating scale

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Participant communication styles
Time Frame: Rating scale is completed by all groups on study inclusion, after signing informed consent.
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.
Participant attitudes towards uncertainty
Time Frame: 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

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
Participant attitudes towards taking risks
Time Frame: 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
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 Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Participant perceived actual health status
Time Frame: Rating scale is completed by all groups on study inclusion, after signing informed consent.
Short Form-36 scale (Range: 10-50)
Rating scale is completed by all groups on study inclusion, after signing informed consent.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University Ghent

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Isabelle Van Herzeele, MD, PhD, Vascular surgeon

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

September 1, 2016

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 1, 2024

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 23, 2018

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 31, 2018

First Posted (Actual)

November 1, 2018

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

December 8, 2023

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 1, 2023

Last Verified

December 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • B670201628799

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Research data will not be shared standard.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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