title: Surgeon-patient communication during awake procedures.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Surgeons are increasingly performing procedures on awake patients. Communication during such procedures is complex and underexplored in the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surgeons were recruited from the faculty of 2 hospitals to participate in an interview regarding their approaches to communication during awake procedures. Three researchers used the constant comparative method to transcribe, code, and review interviews until saturation was reached.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-three surgeons described the advantages and disadvantages of awake procedures, their communication with the awake patient, their interactions with staff and with trainees, the environment of awake procedures, and how communication in this context is taught and learned.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgeons recognized communication during awake procedures as important and reported varied strategies for ensuring patient comfort in this context. However, they also acknowledged challenges with multiparty communication during awake procedures, especially in balancing commitments to teaching with their duty to comfort the patient.
authors: Pritzker School of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors: Claire S
authors: CS
authors: Smith
authors: Department of Surgery, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors: Kristina
authors: K
authors: Guyton
authors: Department of Surgery, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors: Joseph J
authors: JJ
authors: Pariser
authors: Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Siegler
authors: Department of Surgery, NorthShore University Health System, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors: Nancy
authors: N
authors: Schindler
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA. Electronic address: alexander.langerman@vanderbilt.edu.
authors: Alexander
authors: A
authors: Langerman
mesh_terms: D000758:Anesthesia; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D016292:Procedural Sedation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative
keywords: Communication; Doctor–patient relationship; Ethics; Qualitative research; Surgery