Alexander F Arriaga, Atul A Gawande, Daniel B Raemer, Daniel B Jones, Douglas S Smink, Peter Weinstock, Kathy Dwyer, Stuart R Lipsitz, Sarah Peyre, John B Pawlowski, Sharon Muret-Wagstaff, Denise Gee, James A Gordon, Jeffrey B Cooper, William R Berry
OBJECTIVE: To test the feasibility of implementing a standardized teamwork training program with full operating room teams in multiple institutions, driven by malpractice insurer support and incentives. BACKGROUND: Failures in intraoperative teamwork are among the leading causes of preventable patient injury and death in surgical patients. Teamwork training, particularly using simulation, can be an effective intervention but is difficult to scale. METHODS: A malpractice insurer convened a collaborative with 4 Harvard-affiliated simulation programs to develop a standardized operating room teamwork training curriculum, including principles of communication, assertiveness, and use of the World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist...
March 2014: Annals of Surgery