Session Design Submission Review

Yes

• Simulation

Non-technical skills (NTS) such as communication, teamwork, leadership, decision-making, and situation awareness are critical for safe and effective surgical care. Despite their recognized importance, structured training and objective assessment of these skills are still not routinely implemented across surgical education programs. The Association for Surgical Education (ASE) continues to lead the effort to integrate evidence-based approaches into competency-based training. This workshop builds on that vision by demonstrating how simulation, video-based assessment, and emerging technologies can be used to teach, measure, and improve non-technical skills in surgery.

Led by Dr. Sankaranarayanan, Dr. Nepomnayshy, Dr. Stefanidis and Dr. Scott, the session will combine expertise in simulation-based mastery learning, curriculum design, and data-driven performance assessment. Participants will begin by exploring validated frameworks such as NOTSS (Non-Technical Skills for Surgeons), ANTS, and NOTECHS, understanding how these models provide a structured way to observe and evaluate communication, leadership, and decision-making behaviors. Faculty will review how these frameworks are currently applied in operative and simulated environments and discuss practical challenges such as rater consistency and time-efficient implementation.

A major focus of the session will be the application of Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice (RCDP) in simulation-based NTS training. Faculty will demonstrate how RCDP’s structure of short, iterative practice intervals with immediate feedback accelerates learning and reinforces key behavioral responses. Participants will experience mini-scenarios that emphasize teamwork, closed-loop communication, and leadership during intraoperative crises, with debriefing strategies that focus on specific behavioral objectives rather than general impressions.

The workshop will also explore how technology-enhanced approaches, including the use of video recordings in both operating rooms and simulation centers, can be leveraged to objectively assess team performance. Faculty will discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced video analytics can help identify communication patterns, response timing, and coordination metrics, providing educators with data-driven insights that complement human observation. These technologies are transforming assessment by enabling continuous feedback, standardized evaluation, and scalability across different training environments.

Participants will then break into small groups to design an NTS training or assessment plan for their own institution. They will define behavioral objectives, choose appropriate simulation modalities (live, virtual, or hybrid), incorporate RCDP principles, and identify opportunities to integrate video-based review or AI-assisted analytics into their programs. Faculty will share templates, validated rubrics, and implementation strategies to ensure participants can adapt these ideas to their local settings.

By the end of the workshop, participants will take home a set of practical tools, including:

(1) Validated frameworks and scoring rubrics for NTS assessment

(2) Simulation and debriefing templates incorporating RCDP

(3) Guidance for integrating video-based and AI-assisted performance analysis

(4) Implementation checklists and milestone alignment examples

Participants will leave prepared to implement data-informed, scalable methods to train and evaluate the non-technical skills that drive surgical performance and patient safety.

90-minute workshop

Yes

Yes

Identify the core non-technical skills that influence surgical performance and safety.

Apply validated frameworks (NOTSS, ANTS, NOTECHS) to structure NTS assessment and feedback.

Use Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice (RCDP) to teach and reinforce behavioral performance.

Integrate video-based and AI-assisted methods for objective, technology-enhanced assessment.

Design and implement institutional strategies to embed NTS evaluation into competency-based curricula.