Flow Disruptions as A Result of Personal Electronic Devices in Orthopedic Surgery

Abstract

The operating room (OR) is a complex environment in which highly trained individuals perform cognitively demanding tasks. Distractions in this environment may lead to deleterious effects, as a loss of situational awareness can interfere with surgical procedures. The present study aims to quantify the frequency and nature of distracting events associated with personal electronic devices (PEDs) during twenty elective orthopedic surgery cases. PED use was coded using a real-time, custom data collection tool beginning in the pre-operative area and terminating at the time of handoff with the post-anesthesia care team. PED use accounted for 242 flow disruptions in the OR. The vendor showed the highest frequency of flow disruptions (73), followed by the circulating nurse (52) and the certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) (52). Thus, taking a proactive safety approach to account for intraoperative distractions associated with PEDs among OR team members will be critical to ensure high-quality patient care.