Paper Info
Title
Lowering Communication Barriers in Operating Room Technology.
Abstract
Objectives: This paper examines the effects of new technology on team communication and information flow in a complex work environment, and offers design suggestions for improved team performance. Background: Case study of a robot-assisted cholecystectomy procedure revealed teamwork disruption and an increase in the complexity of information flow and communication in the operating room as a result of the novel technology. A controlled experiment using a between-subjects design was conducted to test the hypothesis that providing critical information in a timely and accessible manner would increase communication efficiency and reduce errors in task performance. Methods: Eighteen pairs of participants took part in a simulated tool-changing task in surgery under one of three communication conditions: (a) no rules, (b) scripted, or (c) automated. Results: Teams in the scripted and automated conditions performed significantly faster than the no-rules teams (p <.05). Teams in the automated condition made significantly more errors than those in the scripted condition (p <.05). Conclusion: Scripted speech can facilitate team communication and adaptation to new technology; automatic information display interfaces are not useful if the modality is incompatible with operator expectations. Application: Information displays and communication protocols can be designed to ease adaptation to complex operating room technology.
Year
DOI
Venue
2006
10.1518/001872006779166271
HUMAN FACTORS
Keywords
Field
DocType
communication protocol,information flow
Teamwork,Information flow (information theory),Work environment,Simulation,Cholecystectomy procedure,Controlled experiment,Engineering,Robot,Team communication
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
48
4
0018-7208
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
4
0.55
5
Authors
2
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Jessica L. Webster140.55
C. G.L. Cao25410.38