Surgery and Anesthesia Preoperative “Virtual Huddle”: Enhancing Communication Across the Drape

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Teamwork and interdisciplinary communication in the operating room (OR) can facilitate efficiency, promote patient safety, and improve provider wellness. To enhance team communication and foster collegiality, we conducted a feasibility pilot trial of a simple, “virtual huddle” between anesthesiologists and surgeons on the eve of surgery. METHODS: Participants who would be working in the same OR the next day were connected via electronic medical records (EMR)-based secure chat message and could use the platform to communicate directly about case(s) or anticipated patient issues. After the study period, a survey was administered to evaluate the usability of the platform and its potential to improve communication. RESULTS: A total of 51 unique secure chat connections were created between 11 anesthesiologists and 13 surgeons over 99 operations. Survey response rate was 79% (11 surgeons, 8 anesthesiologists). All questions received positive ratings, as the virtual huddle was deemed to be easy to use (4.47/5.00), to improve attending-to-attending communication (4.29/5.00), and to improve patient care (4.22/5.00). There were no statistically significant differences in ratings between surgery and anesthesia (Table).TableCONCLUSION: This project demonstrated the utility of an electronic text–based chat for surgery and anesthesia attendings. Secure chat messaging is basic technology that offers an intuitive mechanism of connecting across the drapes. The direct line of communication can aid in preparation for cases to enhance OR efficiency and promote patient safety. Although there are limitations to this pilot study, there is clear evidence that implementation of EMR-based secure chat messaging among team members offers a simple adjunct to enhance a vital aspect of surgical care.