'Pass the buzzy thing, please.' Recognising and understanding information: an essential non-technical skill element...

Area of Science:

• Patient safety research
• Healthcare quality improvement
• Surgical risk management

Background:

• Adverse events are unintended patient injuries from medical management, not underlying conditions.
• The operating theatre is a high-risk area, accounting for 41% of hospital adverse events.
• Retained surgical items (sponges, instruments) persist despite technical guidelines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the prevalence of adverse events in operating theatres.
• To identify contributing factors to retained surgical items.
• To emphasize the role of non-technical skills in surgical patient safety.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of adverse events in healthcare settings.
• Analysis of factors contributing to retained surgical items.
• Focus on communication and assertiveness in perioperative care.

Main Results:

• Operating theatres are sites for a significant proportion of adverse events (41%).
• Retained surgical items remain a concern, indicating gaps in safety protocols.
• Non-technical skills, including staff communication and assertiveness, are implicated.

Conclusions:

• Improving patient safety in operating theatres requires attention to non-technical skills.
• Enhanced communication and assertiveness among perioperative staff can reduce adverse events.
• Addressing human factors is crucial for preventing retained surgical items.