Information Transfer and Communication in Surgery

Abstract

ITC deficits adversely affect patient care. There is a need for standard measures to evaluate this process. Effective and standardized communication among healthcare professionals during the perioperative process facilitates surgical safety.

Patient safety improvement interventions in children's surgery: A systematic review

“…A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T Quality assessment comprised a structured critical appraisal of each paper conducted with the aid of quantitative and qualitative criteria checklists previously employed in similar reviews [15]. For each assessment criterion, articles were scored on a 0 to 3 scale based on the extent to which they met the criteria (0=criteria not met, 1=criteria partially met, 2=criteria definitely met).…”

Standardized Communication and Perioperative Staff Satisfaction

“…Often, surgeons assumed that their equipment would be available and when it was not ready they made up for the delay by cutting corners and potentially compromising surgical safety (Nestel & Kidd). Additionally, results from the systematic review by Nagpal et al (2010) found provider communication to be largely informal during the handoff of patient care in the post anesthesia care unit (PACU). Even more importantly, the transfer of patient information did not always lead to the transfer of patient responsibility.…”

“…Improved patient outcomes and decreased hospital admissions directly translate into significant healthcare what information to omit and how to foster a commitment to change practice by all involved caregivers (Nagpal et al, 2010). Most handoff tools are subject to the perception of the healthcare professional being asked to use them .…”

“…Nagpal et al (2010) conducted a systematic review to investigate the current state and limitations of information transfer and communication (ITC) among interprofessionals working as a team in the operating room (OR). These authors explored communication patterns between OR nurses, surgeons and members of the anesthesia team.…”

“…Handoffs that use a specific format on a consistent basis for all providers ensure predictability, reliability, comprehensiveness and above all, standardization . A systematic research review described in Annals of Surgery (Nagpal et al, 2010) was performed to examine the impact that standardized communication tools had on information transfer and patient safety surrounding the perioperative area. A total of 38 studies were included in the review.…”