Analysis of the Surgeons-Anaesthetists Communicative and Collaborative Relationship in the Operating Rooms (An Inside Perspective)

Abstract

Introduction: Effective collaboration and communication among health care professionals are essential for efficient patient-care; however, collaboration can be challenging in a highly demanding, Operating Room (OR) environment, where different team members have a shared responsibility for a single patient. The surgeon and anaesthetist are two physicians in charge of one patient, however with different focus and aspects of care, and thus their communication is importance to ensure patient safety, reduce medical errors and achieve the best outcome. Purpose: The purpose of this research study was to understand the current collaborative relationship between surgeons and anaesthetists at a tertiary hospital, discussing different factors that might have contributed to this relationship and how that might impact, patients, practice, and healthcare trainees. Design, setting and participants: The Study was conducted at a tertiary center university-based hospital on the east coast of Saudi Arabia, using a quantitative descriptive, cross-sectional survey design. The inclusion criteria included any anaesthetist or surgeon who had spent at least six months in the institution. The instrument used was “The Assessment of Inter-professional Team Collaboration Scale II” (AITCS II) in its online version. Results: A total of 85 participants data were considered for analysis, the data analysis indicated a positive collaborative relationship. Surgeons overall collaboration means were higher than the anaesthetists, but the difference was statistically insignificant between disciplines. Also the overall collaboration scores were higher among females but again statistically insignificant. Conclusion: The survey demonstrated a positive Inter Professional Collaborative (IPC) relationship among surgeons and anaesthetists in the institution, with stronger collaboration seen amongst senior staff which alludes to the importance of the reinforcement of collaboration through role modelling and training especially in academic institutions, high lightening the need of involving program directors, educators, and policy makers, in the process towards a collaborative patient-centred care.