Study: OR briefings can improve teamwork, surgical outcomes

Operating room (OR) briefings are a good way to improve teamwork and communication and can lead to improved patient outcomes, according to a study published in the July 9 issue of JAMA Surgery. Preoperative briefings involve three-way communication between the surgeons, nurses, and anesthesiologists participating in a surgical case.

The team members introduce themselves by name and role; a traditional timeout is performed to confirm the patient identity, the correct side and site to be operated on, and the procedure to be done; and a formal review is performed by the anesthesiology, surgical, and nursing staff. Studies have found that an effective briefing can be done in less than two minutes and after implementation, surgeon-reported delays are reduced by more than 80%.

Read the study here.