Teaching procedural skills

For many patients, a successful clinical outcome depends on having a well performed technical procedure. Crucial for surgeons, technical competence is becoming an important element of training for many hospital based specialists: interventional radiologists, cardiologists, gastroenterologists, endovascular therapists, and others. “See one, do one” is no longer appropriate for educating health professionals to perform complex procedures. Graduated independence, the hallmark of the approach to teaching procedural skills, is being challenged by concerns for patients’ safety, the skyrocketing complexity of procedures, and a diminishing work week for trainees. Finding the balance between patients’ safety and doctors’ training will require a more structured approach to our skills curriculum, including continuous assessment of skills, constructive feedback, and provision of opportunities for deliberate practice in the teaching environment.

This paper aims to provide an evidence based algorithm for procedural skills training. It focuses on teaching technical skills, which are just one component of a successful procedure—others are clinical judgment, communication, and team work.