Coordination patterns and clinical performance levels in the management of a simulated anesthetic crisis

Abstract

Many critical situations in health care correspond to difficulties in teamwork, communication, and coordination. This study aimed at describing differences in coordination processes of high and low performing crews during a simulated anesthetic crisis. We coded the coordination process of 24 anesthesia crews during a simulated crisis scenario using a predefined set of observation categories. We compared the coordination patterns of crews with different clinical performance levels (CPL). During the actual crisis, several differences can be noted in the coordination processes of crews with different CPLs. For example, higher performing crews seem to have a more centralized coordination structure and spent less time on task management. This study provides empirical insights into the relationship of coordination patterns and CPLs during a simulated anesthetic crisis. A more comprehensive study including different types of crisis situations will support the development of specific coordination trainings to further improve performance.