Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38589054›Full record

ArticleBMJ open quality2024

Call me Ishmael: addressing the white whale of team communication in the operating room with labelled surgical caps at an academic medical centre.

Nicole Hamilton Goldhaber, Shivani Mehta, Christopher A Longhurst, Elizabeth Malachowski, Melissa Jones, Bryan M Clary, Robin L Schaefer, Michael McHale, Lisa P Rhodes, Kristin L Mekeel and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open quality, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 33% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Nicole Hamilton GoldhaberDepartment of Surgery, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA nhgoldhaber@health.ucsd.edu.ORCID 0000-0002-3847-3634
Shivani MehtaSchool of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Christopher A LonghurstDepartment of Pediatrics, Department of Medicine, Division of Biomedical Informatics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Elizabeth MalachowskiPerioperative Services, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Melissa JonesPerioperative Services, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Bryan M ClaryDepartment of Surgery, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Robin L SchaeferPerioperative Services, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Michael McHaleDepartment of OBGYN, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Lisa P RhodesPerioperative Services, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Kristin L MekeelDepartment of Surgery, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
J Jeffery ReevesDepartment of Surgery, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
University of California San Diego · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionEffective communication in the operating room (OR) is crucial. Addressing a colleague by their name is respectful, humanising, entrusting and associated with improved clinical outcomes. We aimed to enhance team communication in the perioperative environment by offering personalised surgical caps labelled with name and provider role to all OR team members at a large academic medical centre. MATERIALS AND

methodsThis was a quasi-experimental, uncontrolled, before-and-after quality improvement study. A survey regarding perceptions of team communication, knowledge of names and roles, communication barriers, and culture was administered before and after cap delivery. Survey results were measured on a 5-point Likert Scale; descriptive statistics and mean scores were compared. All cause National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (NSQIP) morbidity and mortality outcomes for surgical specialties were examined.

results1420 caps were delivered across the institution. Mean survey scores increased for knowing the names and roles of providers around the OR, feeling that people know my name and feeling comfortable communicating without barriers across disciplines. The mean score for team communication around the OR is excellent was unchanged. The highest score both before and after was knowing the name of an interdisciplinary team member is important for patient care. A total of 383 and 212 providers participated in the study before and after cap delivery, respectively. Participants agreed or strongly agreed that labelled surgical caps made it easier to talk to colleagues (64.9%) while improving communication (66.0%), team culture (60.5%) and patient care (56.8%). No significant differences were noted in NSQIP outcomes.

conclusionsPersonalised labelled surgical caps are a simple, inexpensive tool that demonstrates promise in improving perioperative team communication. Creating highly reliable surgical teams with optimal communication channels requires a multifaceted approach with engaged leadership, empowered front-line providers and an institutional commitment to continuous process improvement.

Indexed as

Beluga WhaleOperating RoomsAcademic Medical CentersAnimalsCommunicationHumansPostoperative Complicationscommunicationcontinuous quality improvementhuman factorssafety cultureteamwork

Identifiers

PMID38589054
PMCPMC11015231
OpenAlexW4394580556

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.