NOTTS Masterclass

NOTSS is a behavioural marker system for surgeons. It allows consultant (attending) surgeons to give feedback to colleagues and trainees on non-technical aspects of performance such as situation awareness, decision making, teamwork, and leadership. It was designed to be used in the intraoperative environment (i.e. in the operating theatre) to guide observation, rating and feedback during clinical encounters.

NOTSS was developed from task analysis with consultant surgeons. Methods used included a literature review, an attitude survey with 352 theatre staff (ORMAQ), critical incident analyses, observations, and cognitive interviews. The prototype system was developed by four panels of consultant surgeons.