title: The impact of a daily pre-operative surgical huddle on interruptions, delays, and surgeon satisfaction in an orthopedic operating room: a prospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The goal of this project was to implement a daily pre-operative huddle (briefing) for orthopedic cases and evaluate the impact of the daily huddle on surgeons' perceptions of interruptions and operative delays.
  
  
  METHODS
  Baseline measurements on interruptions, delays, and questions were obtained. Then the daily pre-operative huddle was introduced. Surgeons completed a surgical outcomes worksheet for each day's cases. Outcomes evaluated were primarily interruptions and delays starting cases before and following introduction of the huddle.
  
  
  RESULTS
  19 baseline observations and 19 huddle-implemented observations of surgeon's days were assessed. Overall, surgeon satisfaction increased and fewer delays occurred after introduction of huddles. Interruptions decreased in all categories including equipment, antibiotics, planned procedure and side. Time required for a huddle was less than one minute per case.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this pilot study, a daily pre-operative huddle improved the flow of a surgeon's day and satisfaction and indirectly provided indications of safety benefits by decreasing the number of interruptions and delays. Further studies in other surgical specialties should be conducted due to the promising results. Data was collected from three orthopedic surgeons in this phase; however, as a next step, data should be drawn from the rest of the orthopedic surgical team and other surgical subspecialties as well.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron, 590 Ridgecrest Rd, Akron, OH 44303 USA.
authors.forename: Avish L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron, 590 Ridgecrest Rd, Akron, OH 44303 USA.
authors.forename: Kerwyn C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron, 590 Ridgecrest Rd, Akron, OH 44303 USA.
authors.forename: Jodi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron, 590 Ridgecrest Rd, Akron, OH 44303 USA.
authors.forename: Mary D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Patterson
keywords: Daily; Huddle; Impact; Interruptions; Orthopedic; Pre-operative; Satisfaction; Surgical