{"id":306,"date":"2022-12-09T13:40:30","date_gmt":"2022-12-09T13:40:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simed.wpengine.com\/?p=306"},"modified":"2024-01-22T16:22:29","modified_gmt":"2024-01-22T16:22:29","slug":"the-impact-of-disruptive-behavior-in-the-or","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simedpr.com\/en\/the-impact-of-disruptive-behavior-in-the-or\/","title":{"rendered":"The Impact of \u201cDisruptive Behavior\u201d in the OR"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Over the years, clinicians working in a surgical environment have become inured to poor communication and behavior from their surgical colleagues. Beyond the destructive impact these interactions may have on professional relationships, they can also lead to medical error resulting from breakdowns in the flow of communication within the clinical team.<\/p>

In Malpractice Risks in Communication Failures<\/a><\/em>, a review of 1,959 surgery cases from 2009\u20132013 showed that surgical patients are vulnerable to communication failures from the pre-operative consent process though post-op recovery and discharge. Of these, 19 percent reported \u201cmiscommunication among providers regarding the patient\u2019s condition\u201d as a contributing factor. An \u201cunsympathetic response to patient complaints\u201d was cited in 13 percent of cases. To further illustrate the impact, 48% of these surgery cases resulted in a high-severity injury, or death.<\/p>

A culture that tolerates impatience, dogmatism, and a reluctance to express a safety concern leaves patients more susceptible to preventable injuries, and exposes all providers on the care team to allegations of malpractice. Surgical teams that master the ability to respectfully convey and receive information with patients before<\/em> surgery, team members during<\/em> surgery, and subsequent providers after<\/em> surgery establish a model for colleagues from all disciplines.<\/p>

In our current environment, previously tolerated misbehavior on the part of surgeons is no longer acceptable. Speaking up and challenging the status quo has become a rally call across all industries, including health care. Savvy leaders are making the connection between communication failures as a root cause of adverse events and malpractice suits in their hospitals. The challenge is how to shift this legacy behavior by surgeons.<\/p>

To address the issues head on, a team of researchers at Ariadne Labs<\/a>collaborated with four academic surgery departments in the Boston area, leveraging medical malpractice data from CRICO Strategies\u2019 national Comparative Benchmarking System<\/a> (CBS). Together, they led a first-of-its kind Harvard research study<\/a> that sheds new light on the serious effects of negative surgeon behavior on their interactions with colleagues, malpractice risk, and potentially even patient care.<\/p>

The study collected de-identified data on 264 surgeons who received 360-degree reviews<\/a> between the years 2012 and 2013. Researchers then merged this 360-review data with malpractice claims data from CBS. Their findings emphasize the importance of respectful communication and teamwork and show that surgery needs a culture change.<\/p>

Key Findings<\/strong><\/p>