Demonstrability of analytics solutions and shared knowledge of statistics and operating room management improves expected performance of small teams in correctly solving problems and making good decisions

Abstract

BackgroundThere is poor understanding how much and what kind of team attributes are needed for well-functioning teams to communicate sufficiently to solve operating room (OR) management analytics-related problems. Several hundred clinicians and administrators have taken such a 3.5 day course. Teams of 2–4 participants complete multiple mathematics word problems. We surveyed prior participants. MethodsField observation was used to develop 13 items describing potential impediments of team performance. From previous communication science studies, the item expected to be judged the most important was Item A: “Knowledge of basic statistics, operations research, and operating room management concepts sufficient for everybody in the team taking part in discussions.” The content of Item A included sufficient preparation for there to be shared knowledge of statistics and OR management terms that members could demonstrate to others when they potentially had a solution.Instructions were to assign 130 points among “team attributes according to what was the most important toward completing a) the problems in the course completed as a team and b) similar tasks you have worked on since the course within small teams.” ResultsThe N = 88 respondents were 21.7% of invitees. Physicians or nurse anesthetists were 62.5% of respondents. The respondents spent median 5.5 min [25th, 75th percentiles 3.9, 7.9 min] to complete the survey. The respondents took the course 4 years ago [2, 6 years]. These demographic variables had no associations with results. The points assigned differed among the 13 items (Kruskal–Wallis P < 0.0001). The distribution of ≥20 points (overall 10.8%) versus <20 points assigned to the 13 items also differed from random assignment (chi-square test P = 0.0029). More respondents assigned ≥20 points to Item A than overall to the other items (chi-square test P = 0.0006). ConclusionsFor team members to solve operating room management problems effectively, the team members foremost need enough shared scientific knowledge for effective discussion of the tasks.