Knowledge management and dynamics as perceived by emergency surgery teams: A quantitative study

Surgical Trauma Teams are characterised by the need to face unexpected situations, with little time to make decisions. In emergency contexts, teams must act in a coordinated way, ensuring, at the same time, proper knowledge transfer and sharing to reach the best possible outcome for the patient. Considering the specific research context, team dynamics among emergency clinicians appear as particularly relevant in terms of knowledge translation, transfer, and sharing, supported by the presence of non-technical skills. Ensuring proper knowledge management is critical for teams to operate accurately. The paper aims at investigating such topics through a quantitative methodology. An online survey was carried on in cooperation with the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) during the month of January 2021. The investigation was conducted following the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES) methodology. 402 trauma surgeons from the five continents participated in the survey. Results were analysed using the software R. Preliminary results highlight the importance of non-technical skills like leadership, professionalism, and communication to facilitate the team's work, boost performance, and allow the translation of knowledge. Knowledge translation and sharing can be facilitated through training, the presence of multidisciplinary team members, and clear clinical guidelines. The respondents identified several issues and barriers to knowledge sharing and effective teamwork. Results may lead to new practices and training topics for surgical trauma teams; but they can be extended to any groups or units operating in an emergency context or under time pressure.