Patient Safety in the Operating Theatre

Abstract

The aim of this symposium is to present and discuss recent research on the factors shaping safe and efficient performance in the operating theatre. Ten years ago, it was not generally accepted that a significant number of surgical patients were harmed not as a result of underlying illness or disease but as a result of their treatment. Detailed incident analyses and studies of behavior in the operating theatre revealed that factors such as decision making, situation awareness, coordination and leadership play a contributory role in the multifaceted nature of adverse events.

The papers included in this symposium address these issues applying a spectrum of theoretical and methodological approaches. The emergent findings of these studies have important implications for future research as well as training and organizational design. For design recommendations to be useful in clinical practice they require an in-depth understanding of the strengths and vulnerabilities pertaining to the clinical work environment. This is reflected by the fact that this symposium brings together teams of clinicians and human factors experts in discussing their most recent research.