Speech communication interference in the robotic operating room.

Miscommunication in the OR is a threat to patient safety and surgical efficiency. Our objective was to measure the frequency and causes of communication interference between robotic team members. We observed 78 robotic surgeries over 215 h.

Speech Communication Interference in the Operating Room.

Introduction: Operating room communication is frequently disrupted, raising safety concerns. We used a Speech Interference Instrument to measure the frequency, impact, and causes of speech communication interference (SCI) events.

Methods: In this prospective study, we observed 40 surgeries, primarily general surgery, to measure the frequency of SCI, defined as "group discourse disrupted according to the participants, the goals, or the physical and situational context of the exchange.