Using the Operating Room Black Box to Assess Surgical Team Member Adaptation Under Uncertainty

Abstract

Objective: Identify how surgical team members uniquely contribute to teamwork and adapt their teamwork skills during instances of uncertainty. Summary/Background Data: The importance of surgical teamwork in preventing patient harm is well documented. Yet, little is known about how key roles (nurse, anesthesiologist, surgeon, medical trainee) uniquely contribute to teamwork during instances of uncertainty, particularly when adapting to and rectifying an intraoperative adverse event (IAE). Methods: Audio-visual data of 23 laparoscopic cases from a large community teaching hospital were prospectively captured using OR Black Box®. Human factors researchers retrospectively coded videos for teamwork skills (backup behaviour, coordination, psychological safety, situation assessment, team decision making, leadership) by team role under two conditions of uncertainty: associated with an IAE versus no IAE. Surgeons identified IAEs. Results: 1015 instances of teamwork skills were observed. Nurses adapted to IAEs by expressing more backup behaviour skills (5.3x increase; 13.9 instances/h during an IAE vs. 2.2 instances/h when no IAE) while surgeons and medical trainees expressed more phycological safety skills (surgeons:3.6x increase; 30.0 instances/h vs. 6.6 instances/h and trainees 6.6x increase; 31.2 instances/h vs. 4.1 instances/h). All roles expressed less situation assessment skills during an IAE versus no IAE. Conclusions: ORBB enabled the assessment of critically important details about how team members uniquely contribute during instances of uncertainty. Some teamwork skills were amplified, while others dampened, when dealing with IAEs. Knowledge of how each role contributes to teamwork and adapts to IAEs should be used to inform the design of tailored interventions to strengthen interprofessional teamwork.