[Intraoperative use of electronic patient records by the surgeon. An evaluation of the "MI Report" in ENT surgery]

Surgeons often wish to view patient data during surgical procedures. To achieve this, the surgeon normally has to get unsterile to view the record himself, or request a nurse to do so. This procedure results in a time delay, longer anesthesia and higher treatment costs.

The "MI Report" (Karl Storz, Tuttlingen, Germany) was evaluated for its impact in ENT surgery in daily routine. The system consists of a sensor for gesture recognition and a large 52-in. display positioned centrally in the operating room. Usage of the system by the surgeon was recorded in 51 surgical procedures.

Information was retrieved from the display on average 1.2 times per procedure. The system was not used at all in 20% of operations. The operation with the highest usage rate was tympanoplasty (1.6 views per operation). In 86% of cases, the system was used to confirm the therapy underway or make a decision on how to proceed with therapy. When trying to activate the system by making a particular hand gesture, the surgeon cancelled activation in 31% of attempts.

A relation between the type of operation and information viewed could be shown. A benefit for the patient may be assumed on the basis of the reduced effort required to retrieve patient data as well as increased intraoperative consultation of patient records. The system provides the surgeon with greater flexibility and may reduce operating time.