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Clear communication
Mr. Byrum says effective communication between your staff members and sur-
geons is vital to prevent a cascade of errors. That is often difficult, however,
thanks to the OR's strict pecking order.
"Surgery has always been hierarchal," says Mr. Byrum. "There's no ques-
tion about who's in charge and who's executing orders. It's good to have a
chain of command, but not if that precludes communication."
To enhance team communication in your OR, proper training is necessary. Just
ask Scott Hulbert, MD, senior medical director of surgery at the University of
Colorado Health's Memorial Hospital. In 2009, the hospital received a grant that
allowed it to provide human factors training — a science that looks at the rela-
tionships between human beings as well as the systems they interact with — to
surgeons and staff. Training in human factors enhances a team's overall commu-
nication skills, increasing efficiency and productivity while minimizing errors,
says Dr. Hulbert. That training, he says, went a long way toward developing the
hospital's culture of safety.
Finding this type of training isn't hard — there are several organizations that
offer specialized courses in human factors for healthcare providers. However, Dr.
Hulbert notes that the most difficult part is getting staff and surgeons on board
with the changes the training suggests, such as adopting safety checklists.
To make the training more appealing, Memorial Hospital made it voluntary
and combined both surgeons and staff into a single group, which Dr. Hulbert
says fostered a team approach. "Our philosophy was to get the people who were
interested in it and have them start the culture change," he says. "That worked
better than mandating it."
Mr. Byrum notes that communication in the OR must mean more than just a
passing comment from a circulator, or an observation muttered under a surgical
tech's breath. Instead, it requires a specific skill set and communication format
that must be honed and practiced.
There are 4 steps to effective communication, explains Mr. Byrum. First, you
