Study: Video-based assessment shows promise for assessing non-technical surgical skills

Editor's Note

Automated surgical video analysis could enhance evaluation of an OR team’s nontechnical skills, according to a study published July 31 in JAMA Network Open.

Conducted between January 2021 and May 2022, the cross-sectional study involved 30 cardiovascular surgical teams at a teaching hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Using OpenPose, a real-time multiperson keypoint detection library, researchers extracted motion data from surgical video recordings during the critical phase of cardiac surgery—separation from bypass. The study aimed to correlate these motion features with Non-Technical Skills for Surgeons (NOTSS) scores, which evaluate team nontechnical skills in four categories: situational awareness, decision-making, communication and teamwork, and leadership.

Findings indicate that specific motion features correlate significantly with NOTSS scores. For example, measurements of team trajectory, acceleration and displacement entropy showed that coordinated and purposeful movements contribute to effective team performance, while more erratic movements have the opposite effect.

Traditional assessment tools for nontechnical skills rely on subjective evaluations, leading to methodological limitations and biases; require expert observers; and often fail to capture the dynamic and temporal nature of team interactions, researchers note. In contrast, this study leveraged motion analysis techniques from sports science and organizational studies, where team members' physical movements have been linked to performance in areas like communication, coordination, and situational awareness. By applying these techniques in surgical settings, researchers aim to enhance the understanding and evaluation of surgical teams' nontechnical skills.

Further investigation across different hospitals and specialties is necessary to validate the findings, authors conclude.