Trigger videos: a novel application of a tool for surgical faculty development

BACKGROUND: Trigger videos have occasionally been used in medical education; however, their application to surgical faculty development is novel. We assessed participants’ attitudes towards workshops on intraoperative teaching (IOT) that were anchored by trigger videos, and studied whether they could generate discussion-for-learning among surgeons in this workshop setting. METHODS: Surgeons from multiple specialties attended one of six faculty development workshops where IOT trigger videos were shown and discussed during break-out sessions. Participants completed questionnaires to (1) evaluate videos via survey and feedback, and (2) identify adoptable and discardable IOT techniques. Teaching techniques were collated to identify planned IOT changes and survey data and feedback were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 135 surgeons identified 292 adoptable and 202 discardable IOT techniques based on trigger videos and discussions, and 94% of participants reported that the trigger videos were useful and encouraged them to discuss and consider new IOT techniques in their own practice. CONCLUSIONS: Participants reported that the trigger videos were useful and motivating. Surgeons critically reflected on IOT during the sessions, identifying numerous adoptable and discardable techniques relevant to their own teaching styles. Trigger videos can be a valuable tool for surgical faculty development and can be tailored to other medical specialties. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12893-021-01415-9.