Bridging the Gap – A Traffic Light System to Ease Communication Amongst Surgeons, Hand Therapists and Patients

Abstract

Communication in the healthcare setup is essential for patient safety and for seamless delivery of services to the patient. We have adopted a novel way of communication in the form of a colour-coded visual aid in the form of a traffic light system to guide the patients through the course of their treatment. This shows the treatment plan in the form of Red, Amber, Green and Blue. The Red (Stop) denotes complete immobilisation with Splints, Amber (Proceed with caution) denotes active movements only, Green (Go forward) denotes Passive and Active movements and Blue shows when the patient can undergo guided weight bearing and strengthening exercises without a splint. The implementation of this system has created a streamlining of our protocol and improvement in the quality of the care we deliver. Level of Evidence: Level V (Therapeutic)