scholarly journals Improving teamwork and communication in the operating room by introducing the theatre cap challenge

2022 ◽  
Vol 32 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 4-9
Author(s):  
Anne Sophie HM van Dalen ◽  
Jan A Swinkels ◽  
Stan Coolen ◽  
Robert Hackett ◽  
Marlies P Schijven

Objective One of the steps of the Surgical Safety Checklist is for the team members to introduce themselves. The objective of this study was to implement a tool to help remember and use each other’s names and roles in the operating theatre. Methods This study was part of a pilot study in which a video and medical data recorder was implemented in one operating theatre and used as a tool for postoperative multidisciplinary debriefings. During these debriefings, name recall was evaluated. Following the implementation of the medical data recorder, this study was started by introducing the theatre cap challenge, meaning the use of name (including role) stickers on the surgical cap in the operating theatre. Findings In total, 41% (n = 40 out of 98) of the operating theatre members were able to recall all the names of their team at the team briefings. On average 44.8% (n = 103) was wearing the name sticker. Conclusions The time-out stage of the Surgical Safety Checklist might be inadequate for correctly remembering and using your operating theatre team members’ names. For this, the theatre cap challenge may help.

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. e001086
Author(s):  
Claire Cushley ◽  
Tom Knight ◽  
Helen Murray ◽  
Lawrence Kidd

Background and problemThe WHO Surgical Safety Checklist has been shown to improve patient safety as well as improving teamwork and communication in theatres. In 2009, it was made a mandatory requirement for all NHS hospitals in England and Wales. The WHO checklist is intended to be adapted to suit local settings and was modified for use in Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. In 2018, it was decided to review the use of the adapted WHO checklist and determine whether improvements in compliance and engagement could be achieved.AimThe aim was to achieve 90% compliance and engagement with the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist by April 2019.MethodsIn April 2018, a prospective observational audit and online survey took place. The results showed compliance for the ‘Sign In’ section of the checklist was 55% and for the ‘Time Out’ section was 91%. Engagement by the entire theatre team was measured at 58%. It was proposed to move from a paper checklist to a wall-mounted checklist, to review and refine the items in the checklist and to change the timing of ‘Time Out’ to ensure it was done immediately prior to knife-to-skin.ResultsFollowing its introduction in September 2018, the new wall-mounted checklist was reaudited. Compliance improved to 91% for ‘Sign In’ and to 94% for ‘Time Out’. Engagement by the entire theatre team was achieved 100% of the time. Feedback was collected, adjustments made and the new checklist was rolled out in stages across all theatres. A reaudit in December 2018 showed compliance improved further, to 99% with ‘Sign In’ and to 100% with ‘Time Out’. Engagement was maintained at 100%.ConclusionsThe aim of the project was met and exceeded. Since April 2019, the new checklist is being used across all theatres in the Trust.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-46
Author(s):  
Mehr Jain

Background. Surgical safety checklists are a standard of care for safe operating room practice, but their use has not been associated with reductions in adverse perioperative outcomes in some settings. Non-adherence and partial checklist completion may contribute to this lack of effect. Objective. To examine whether a surgical safety checklist using distributed responsibility of checklist item completion, by allocation of questions and responses among operating room staff, increases surgical safety checklist compliance. Methods. With Quality and Risk Management approval, a multicomponent strategy consisting of novel surgical safety checklist focused on distributed responsibility of checklist item completion was evaluated in orthopaedic operating rooms at The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, from July to August 2016 using a before-and-after study design. The intervention consisted of a wall-mounted reusable checklist with questions and responses designated to specific operating room team members. Team training was provided beforehand, operating room team leaders were identified to promote the intervention, and revisions to the checklist content and process were implemented based on feedback on feasibility and clinical sensibility. Results. A total of 45 and 59 children were included in pre-intervention and intervention groups, respectively. Overall, 87% (1,354/1,560) of checklist items were observed. Checklist item completion was significantly increased in the post-intervention group (77% [615/802]) compared with the pre-intervention group (27% [150/522]) (P<0.001). Conclusions. These findings suggest that a multicomponent strategy of designating responsibility for item completion among operating room team members and using a memory aid can improve compliance with surgical safety checklist item completion.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Junming Gong ◽  
Yushan Ma ◽  
Yunfei An ◽  
Qi Yuan ◽  
Yun Li ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Implementation of the surgical safety checklist (SSC) plays a significant role in improving surgical patient safety, but levels of compliance to a SSC implementation by surgical team members vary significantly. We aimed to investigate the factors affecting satisfaction levels of gynecologists, anesthesiologists, and operating room registered nurses (OR-RNs) with SSC implementation. Methods We conducted a survey based on 267 questionnaires completed by 85 gynecologists from 14 gynecological surgery teams, 86 anesthesiologists, and 96 OR-RNs at a hospital in China from March 3 to March 16, 2020. The self-reported questionnaire was used to collect respondent’s demographic information, levels of satisfaction with overall implementation of the SSC and its implementation in each of the three phases of a surgery, namely sign-in, time-out, and sign-out, and reasons for not giving a satisfaction score of 10 to its implementation in all phases. Results The subjective ratings regarding the overall implementation of the SSC between the surgical team members were different significantly. “Too many operations to check” was the primary factor causing gynecologists and anesthesiologists not to assign a score of 10 to sign-in implementation. The OR-RNs gave the lowest score to time-out implementation and 82 (85.42%) did not assign a score of 10 to it. “Surgeon is eager to start for surgery” was recognized as a major factor ranking first by OR-RNs and ranking second by anesthesiologists, and 57 (69.51%) OR-RNs chose “Too many operations to check” as the reason for not giving a score of 10 to time-out implementation. “No one initiates” and “Surgeon is not present for ‘sign out’” were commonly cited as the reasons for not assigning a score of 10 to sign-out implementation. Conclusion Factors affecting satisfaction with SSC implementation were various. These factors might be essentially related to heavy workloads and lack of ability about SSC implementation. It is advisable to reduce surgical team members’ excessive workloads and enhance their understanding of importance of SSC implementation, thereby improving surgical team members’ satisfaction with SSC implementation and facilitating compliance of SSC completion.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 456
Author(s):  
Endang Yuliati ◽  
Hema Malini ◽  
Sri Muharni

<p><em><em>The use of the Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) is associated with improving patient care according to nursing process standards includes the quality of work of the operating room nurse team. The form of professionalism in the operating room is how the application of a surgical safety checklist as the standard procedure for patient safety in the operating room. This study aims to determine the relationship of characteristics, knowledge, and motivation of nurses in the application of the surgical safety checklist in the operating room of a Batam city hospital. This research is quantitative using an observational analytic research design. This study was conducted on 67 nurses who were taken by total sampling. This research was conducted in three Batam City Hospitals, with hospital accreditation at the same level. Data were analysed by univariate and bivariate using the chi-square test. The results of the study found that most nurses had education at diploma level, with a working period experiences of &gt; 6 months (82%); good knowledge (53.7%) with low motivation (57.7%). There is a relationship between education (p = 0.042); length of work experience (p = 0.010); knowledge (p = 0.002); and motivation (p = 0.05) with the application of SSC. It is expected that health services carry out SSC following the applicable SOPs in the Hospital so that it can reduce work accident rates and improve patient safety.</em></em></p><p><em><br /></em></p><p><em>Penerapan Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) berhubungan langsung dengan kualitas asuhan keperawatan yang termasuk adalah bagaimana perawat menerapkan fungsi sebagai bagian dari kamar operasi. Bentuk profesionalisme ini menjadi standar bagaimana kemampuan perawat menerapakan SSC. Tujuan penelitian adalah mengetahui hubungan karakteristik perawat, pengetahuan dan motivasi dengan penerapan SSC di kamar operasi. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain kuantitatif Cross Sectional dengan jumlah sampel 67 orang perawat kamar operasi. Data dianalisa dengan distribusi frekuensi dan uji hubungan bivariat. Didapatkan penerapan SSC perawat kota Batam masih kurang baik, dengan faktor yang mempunyai hubungan adalah Pendidikan, pelatihan dan pengetahuan. Diharapkan perawat mampu menerapkan SSC sesuai dengan Standar pelaksanaan fungsi perawat dikamar operasi.</em></p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Tan ◽  
James Reeves Mbori Ngwayi ◽  
Zhaohan Ding ◽  
Yufa Zhou ◽  
Ming Li ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Ten years after the introduction of the Chinese Ministry of Health (MoH) version of Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) we wished to assess the ongoing influence of the World Health Organisation (WHO) SSC by observing all three checklist components during elective surgical procedures in China, as well as survey operating room staff and surgeons more widely about the WHO SSC. Methods A questionnaire was designed to gain authentic views on the WHO SSC. We also conducted a prospective cross-sectional study at five level 3 hospitals. Local data collectors were trained to document specific item performance. Adverse events which delayed the operation were recorded as well as the individuals leading or participating in the three SSC components. Results A total of 846 operating room staff and surgeons from 138 hospitals representing every mainland province responded to the survey. There was widespread acceptance of the checklist and its value in improving patient safety. 860 operations were observed for SSC compliance. Overall compliance was 79.8%. Compliance in surgeon-dependent items of the ‘time-out’ component reduced when it was nurse-led (p < 0.0001). WHO SSC interventions which are omitted from the MoH SSC continued to be discussed over half the time. Overall adverse events rate was 2.7%. One site had near 100% compliance in association with a circulating inspection team which had power of sanction. Conclusion The WHO SSC remains a powerful tool for surgical patient safety in China. Cultural changes in nursing assertiveness and surgeon-led teamwork and checklist ownership are the key elements for improving compliance. Standardised audits are required to monitor and ensure checklist compliance.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Tan ◽  
James Reeves Mbori Ngwayi ◽  
Zhaohan Ding ◽  
Yufa Zhou ◽  
Ming Li ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Ten years after the introduction of Chinese Ministry of Health (MoH) version of Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) we wished to assess the ongoing influence of the World Health Organisation (WHO) SSC by observing all three sections during elective surgical procedures in China, as well as to survey operating room staff more widely about the WHO SSC.Methods: A questionnaire was designed to gain authentic views on the WHO SSC. We also conducted a prospective cross-sectional study at five level 3 hospitals. Local data collectors were trained to document specific item performance. Adverse events which delayed the operation were recorded as well as the professionals leading or participating in the three SSC phases.Results: A total of 846 operating room professionals from 138 hospitals representing every mainland province responded to the survey. There was widespread acceptance of the checklist and its value in improving patient safety. 860 operations were observed for SSC compliance. Overall compliance was 79.8%. The ‘time-out’ phase compliance in surgeon-dependent items reduced when it was nurse-led (p<0.0001). WHO SSC interventions which are omitted from the MoH SSC continued to be discussed over half the time. Overall adverse events rate was 2.7%. One site had near 100% compliance in association with a circulating inspection team which had power of sanction.Conclusion: The WHO SSC remains a powerful tool for patient safety in China. Changes in behaviour for nurses (assertiveness) and surgeons (teamwork) could improve compliance. Random checks of compliance may have merit.


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