Examining non-technical skills for ad hoc resuscitation teams: a scoping review and taxonomy of team-related concepts

Abstract

Background: Non-technical skills (NTS) concepts from high-risk industries such as aviation have been enthusiastically applied to medical teams for decades. Yet it remains unclear whether—and how—these concepts impact resuscitation team performance. In the context of ad hoc teams in prehospital, emergency department, and trauma domains, even less is known about their relevance and impact. Methods: This scoping review, guided by PRISMA-ScR and Arksey & O’Malley’s framework, included a systematic search across five databases, followed by article selection and extracting and synthesizing data. Articles were eligible for inclusion if they pertained to NTS for resuscitation teams performing in prehospital, emergency department, or trauma settings. Articles were subjected to descriptive analysis, coherence analysis, and citation network analysis. Results: Sixty-one articles were included. Descriptive analysis identified fourteen unique non-technical skills. Coherence analysis revealed inconsistencies in both definition and measurement of various NTS constructs, while citation network analysis suggests parallel, disconnected scholarly conversations that foster discordance in their operationalization across domains. To reconcile these inconsistencies, we offer a taxonomy of non-technical skills for ad hoc resuscitation teams. Conclusion: This scoping review presents a vigorous investigation into the literature pertaining to how NTS influence optimal resuscitation performance for ad hoc prehospital, emergency department, and trauma teams. Our proposed taxonomy offers a coherent foundation and shared vocabulary for future research and education efforts. Finally, we identify important limitations regarding the traditional measurement of NTS, which constrain our understanding of how and why these concepts support optimal performance in team resuscitation. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]