Operating theatre teams should review the use of background music, study suggests

Source:  University College London, Institute of Education

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Date of publication: August 2015

Publication type:  News item

In a nutshell: An analysis of video footage taken during 20 operations shows that some operating theatre teams are negatively affected by background music during surgery. The study suggests that communication within the theatre team can be impaired when music is playing. The authors recommend that surgical teams hold discussions about playing music during an operation, with particular emphasis on taking into consideration the views of nurses. A good opportunity for this would be during the ‘Time Out’ section of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Surgery Safety Checklist. Based on their broader body of research, the team has developed a training model – Video Supported Simulation for Interactions in the Operating Theatre (ViSIOT) – that aims to improve communication and includes strategies to alleviate problems associated with music.

Length of Publication:  1 web page

Safety culture and the 5 steps to safer surgery: an intervention study

Source:  British Journal of Anaesthesia pii: aev063. [Epub ahead of print]

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Date of publication:  March 2015

Publication type:  Journal article

In a nutshell:  The 5 Steps to Safer Surgery (5SSS) incorporates pre-list briefings, the three steps of the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) and post-list debriefings in one framework. This study aimed to identify any changes in safety culture associated with the introduction of the 5SSS in orthopaedic operating theatres. The authors assessed the safety culture in the elective orthopaedic theatres of a large UK teaching hospital before and after introduction of the 5SSS using a modified version of the Safety Attitude Questionnaire – Operating Room (SAQ-OR). They also analysed changes in responses to two items regarding perioperative briefings. The authors conclude that implementation of the 5SSS was associated with a significant improvement in the safety culture of elective orthopaedic operating theatres.

Length of Publication:  1 web page

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library

Smartphones let surgeons know WhatsApp: an analysis of communication in emergency surgical teams

Source:  American Journal of Surgery 209/1 pp. 45-51

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Date of publication:  January 2015

Publication type:  Journal article

In a nutshell:  The authors say that outdated communication technologies in healthcare can place patient safety at risk. They set out to evaluate implementation of the WhatsApp messaging service within emergency surgical teams in a London hospital. The initiator and receiver of communication were compared for response times and communication types. Safety events were reported using direct quotations. The authors conclude that WhatsApp represents a safe, efficient communication technology.

Length of Publication:  7 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library

New safety collaborative will improve outcomes for patients with tracheostomies

Source:  The Health Foundation

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Date of publication:  July 2014

Publication type:  News item

In a nutshell: A new project in South Manchester will improve the safety and quality of care for patients with tracheostomies. The project, funded by the Health Foundation, aims to improve care and outcomes both in the NHS and around the world. The announcement comes as the European Global Tracheostomy Collaborative (GTC) – a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, allied health clinicians and patients working together to disseminate best practice – is launched during an event at the Royal College of Surgeons in central London, which includes a guest talk from Professor Stephen Hawking. About 15,000 tracheostomies are performed each year in England and Wales. A team at the University Hospital of South Manchester will lead the project and local ‘champions’ in four different sites in Manchester will set targets which can be benchmarked against international hospitals and standards through the GTC’s database.

Length of Publication:  1 web page

Improving surgical ward care: development and psychometric properties of a global assessment toolkit

Source:  Annals of surgery 259/5 pp. 904-9

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Date of publication:  May 2014

Publication type:  Journal article

In a nutshell:  The authors of this study aimed to develop a toolkit to cover the skills required for effective, safe surgical ward care. A comprehensive evidence-based and expert-derived toolkit was developed. It included a novel clinical checklist for ward care (Clinical Skills Assessment for Ward Care: C-SAW-C); a novel team assessment scale for wards rounds (Teamwork Skills Assessment for Ward Care: T-SAW-C); and a revised version of a physician-patient interaction scale (Physician-Patient Interaction Global Rating Scale: PP-GIS). The toolkit can be used to train and debrief residents’ skills and performance.

Length of Publication:  6 pages

Some important notes:  Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Reducing the burden of surgical harm: a systematic review of the interventions used to reduce adverse events in surgery

Source:  Annals of Surgery 259/4 pp. 630-41

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Date of publication:  April 2014

Publication type:  Journal article

In a nutshell:  The authors completed a systematic review of interventions used to reduce adverse events in surgery. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to measure the quality of observational studies and RCTs were assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool for assessing risk of bias. Effective process interventions were submission of outcome data to national audit, use of safety checklists, and adherence to a care pathway. Certain safety technology significantly reduced harm, and team training had a positive effect on patient outcome. The conclusion was that only a small cohort of medium- to high-quality interventions effectively reduce surgical harm and are feasible to implement.

Length of Publication:  12 pages

Some important notes:  Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Surgical technology and operating-room safety failures: a systematic review of quantitative studies

Source:  BMJ Quality and Safety vol/iss 22/9 pp.710-718

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Date of publication:  September 2013

Publication type:  Journal article

In a nutshell:  This systematic review looked at the frequency of equipment-related error in surgery. One quarter of all errors in surgery are a result of equipment or technology. There was usually about one equipment problem per procedure. Using pre-operative checklists could halve the number of equipment errors.

Length of Publication:  9 pages

Some important notes:  Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Patient safety in vitreoretinal surgery: quality improvements following a patient safety reporting system

Source:  Br J Ophthalmol. Vol/iss 97/3 pp. 302-7.

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Date of publication:  March 2013

Publication type:  Journal article

In a nutshell:  Vitreoretinal (VR) surgery is complex and many clinical conditions that VR surgeons manage have a high risk for blindness or severe visual impairment. The authors examined the role of PSI reporting in making VR surgery safer at their institution. VR PSI reporting resulted in a change in clinical practice. Longitudinal analysis suggests an accompanying increase in patient safety.

Length of Publication:  6 pages

Some important notes:  Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Towards National Surgical Surveillance in the UK – A Pilot Study.

Source:  PLoS ONE, vol/iss 7/12 pp.e47969

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Date of publication:  December 2012

Publication type:  Journal article

In a nutshell:  Six standardised metrics for assessing the quality and safety of surgery have been proposed by the World Health Organisation. This study collected these metrics for the period 2005-2009 from a sample of 30 hospitals in England. The aim was to examine the feasibility and usefulness of measuring surgical performance and any impact on public health and mortality. The study found that standardised surgical metrics are practicable to collect and may help policy makers and commissioners understand variations in quality.

Length of Publication:  1 web page