title: Surgeon-family perioperative communication: surgeons' self-reported approaches to the "surgeon-family relationship".
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Family members are important in the perioperative care of surgical patients. During the perioperative period, communication about the patient occurs between surgeons and family members. To date, however, surgeon-family perioperative communication remains unexplored in the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surgeons were recruited from the surgical faculty of an academic hospital to participate in an interview regarding their approach to speaking with family members during and immediately after an operative procedure. An iterative process of transcription and theme development among 3 researchers was used to compile a well-defined set of qualitative themes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirteen surgeons were interviewed and described what informs their communication, how they practice surgeon-family perioperative communication, and how the skills integral to perioperative communication are taught. Surgeons saw perioperative communication with family members as having a special role of providing support and anxiety alleviation that is distinct from the role of communication during clinic or postoperative visits. Wide variability exists in how interviewed surgeons practice perioperative communication, including who communicates with the family, and the frequency and content of the communication. Surgeons universally reported that residents' instruction in perioperative communication with families was lacking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgeons recognize perioperative communication with family members to be a part of their role and responsibility to the patient. However, during the perioperative period, they also acknowledge an independent responsibility to alleviate family members' anxieties. This independent responsibility supports the existence of a distinct "surgeon-family relationship."
authors.affiliation: University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL; Bucksbaum Institute for Clinical Excellence, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Aubrey L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL; Bucksbaum Institute for Clinical Excellence, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rojnica
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL; MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL; Bucksbaum Institute for Clinical Excellence, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siegler
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL; MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL; Bucksbaum Institute for Clinical Excellence, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Angelos
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL; MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL; Bucksbaum Institute for Clinical Excellence, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Electronic address: alangerm@surgery.bsd.uchicago.edu.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Langerman
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019990:Perioperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D010819:Physician's Role; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D066231:Surgeons / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States