The Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) has been adopted in operating rooms (OR) worldwide to reduce medical errors, increase patient safety and improve interprofessional communication. Despite often high compliance rates, recent studies suggested the SSC has not been associated with significant reductions in operative mortality or complications. This ethnographic study sought to understand this disconnection through approximately 50 hours of observation in the OR and 10 in-depth semi-structured interviews with surgeons, nurses, and anaesthesiologists in orthopaedic surgery. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. By spending time in the OR and listening to the staff, this study was able to look beyond what "ought" to be happening in the OR and garner a deep understanding of the realities of OR work that acknowledges the complexities of surgical culture in which the SSC is being implemented. This study found SSC compliance was influenced by the perceived (un)importance of individual checklist items within the orthopaedic setting. Additionally, there remains a need to further explore patients' involvement in their operative experience.

No abstract

A 2D-animated educational video was developed to help educate organ transplant candidates and their caregivers about organ donation from hepatitis C-positive donors. This new protocol at Toronto General Hospital (TGH) included an animation designed to augment the informed consent process. Patient feedback on the final iteration gave insight into the clarity and efficacy of the communication and the visual style of this animation. The authors found that patients were receptive to the use of this visual aid during the informed consent process.