Communication failure in the operating room

Background: Communication errors contribute to the occurrence of adverse events in various domains of health care. Recent studies surveying perceptions of communication in the operating room have found disparities in the perceived quality of communication among members of the operating room team. Our aim was to characterize the nature of communication failures observed in the operating room and to assess whether a Team Training curriculum had any impact on observed communication errors.

Methods: Intraoperative observation was performed and communication errors were identified according to predetermined criteria. Observed errors were classified according to the type of error, subject matter, and observed effect.

Results: Seventy-six communication failures were observed over 150 hours of observation. Overall, communication errors relating to equipment and keeping team members informed of the progress of an operation comprised 36% and 24% of all observed communication errors, respectively. Prior to the introduction of a Team Training curriculum, 56 errors were observed over 76 hours (rate,737 errors per hour; standard error, 0.098). After Team Training, 20 errors over 74 hours were observed (rate .270 errors per hour; standard error, 0.060; P < .001).

Conclusion: Communication failures related most frequently to equipment and keeping team members updated as to the progress of an operation. These failures can lead to procedural delay and inefficiencies. A program that teaches teamwork and communication skills is one strategy that may improve communication among members of the operating room team.