Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has led to the birth of videoconference multidisciplinary teams, which are now commonplace. This remote way of deciding care demands a new set of rules to ensure the quality of the complex decisions that are made for the patient group needing multidisciplinary care. Videoconference multidisciplinary teams bring with them novel forms of distraction that are under-appreciated and can impair decision-making. A practical checklist was generated as applied to videoconference multidisciplinary teams using the principles of human factors awareness and recognition. Some of the strategies that should be adopted to minimise errors arising from human factors are: information technology support, a suitable environment to dial in, a global checklist employed prior to the videoconference, visible participants, avoiding distractions from other sources (e.g. e-mail, mobile phone), a videoconference sign-out and rapid dissemination of the outcomes sheet. This article presents a framework that uses human factors principles applied in this setting, which will contribute to enhanced patient safety, team working and a reduction in medical errors.
Highlights
The British Association of Head and Neck Oncologists was one of the first to suggest a reduction in the numbers of members that would constitute a quorate multidisciplinary team (MDT).[3,4]
Human failures can be categorised into four main domains: the influence of the employing organisation, preconditions to unsafe acts, unsafe supervision and unsafe acts themselves.[7]
The videoconference MDT exposes participants to many of the same potential failures as its face-to-face counterpart. Organisational influences such as a requirement to treat patients expediently still exist during the Covid-19 crisis.[8,9]
Summary
As a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, many institutions have reduced hospital attendance for clinicians and patients alike, in line with social distancing.[1,2] The British Association of Head and Neck Oncologists was one of the first to suggest a reduction in the numbers of members that would constitute a quorate multidisciplinary team (MDT).[3,4] Such recommendations saw the birth of videoconference MDTs, which are commonplace This remote way of deciding care demands a new set of rules to ensure that the quality of the complex decisions which are made continue to fulfil the expectations of all involved. This article presents a framework that uses human factors principles to be applied in this setting, which will contribute to enhanced patient safety, team working and a reduction in medical errors
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