Identifying optimal program structure, motivations for and barriers to peer coaching participation for surgeons in practice: a qualitative synthesis

Continuous advancement of surgical skills is of utmost importance to surgeons in practice, but traditional learning activities without personalized feedback often do not translate into practice changes in the operating room. Peer coaching has been shown to lead to very high rates of practice changes and utilization of new skills. The purpose of this study was to explore the opinions of practicing surgeons regarding the characteristics of peer coaching programs, in order to better inform future peer coaching program design. Using a convenience sample, practicing general surgeons were invited to participate in focus group interviews. Allocation into groups was according to years in practice. The interviews were conducted using open-ended questions by trained facilitators. Audio recordings were transcribed and coded into themes by two independent reviewers using a grounded theory approach. Of 52 invitations, 27 surgeons participated: 74% male; years in practice: 15 years: 41%. Three main themes emerged during coding: ideal program structure, motivations for participation, and barriers to implementation. For the ideal structure of a peer coaching program all groups agreed coaching programs should be voluntary, involve bidirectional learning, and provide CME credits. Live, in situ coaching was preferred. Motivations for coaching participation included: desire to learn new techniques (48%), remaining up to date with the evolution of surgical practice (30%) and improvement of patient outcomes (18%). Barriers to program implementation were categorized as: surgical culture (42%), perceived lack of need (26%), logistical constraints (23%) and issues of coach–coachee dynamics (9%). Peer coaching to refine or acquire new skills addresses many shortcomings of traditional, didactic learning modalities. This study revealed key aspects of optimal program structure, motivations and barriers to coaching which can be used to inform the design of successful peer coaching programs in the future.