What’s in a Name? Names and Roles on Surgical Caps
Our study, “What’s in a name? Enhancing Communications in the Operating Room with the use of Names and Roles on Surgical Caps,” in the April issue of The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, sought to assess provider’s acceptance of wearing labeled caps and study the impact labeled caps had on communication in the OR.
Our most striking findings were the comments written by staff participating in the study on how they felt about their experience in the OR when staff wore named caps. The comments show that wearing labeled caps helped our staff identify one another, even if they had already been introduced or knew each other. Being able to easily identify others by name made communication with team members easier; and, most importantly, staff felt that the labeled caps improved communication and patient care.
Comments from staff:
“There was a sense of relief to know names.”
“Even if you know most of the people in the room, it’s still nice to be able to see their names easily visible.”
“It makes a difference with knowing who everyone is.”
“I have been here for 14 years and still have trouble with everyone’s names since we are consistently getting new residents – this idea is excellent!”
“It would be great to see names on caps… I can never remember names and it is awkward to say ‘hey you there.’”
“It would greatly improve communication and role identification, especially during stressful or complex times.”
“It is hard to remember names even after introduction at time-out.”
The use of surgical caps labeled with one’s name and role is a low-cost approach to improving communication in the OR.
Laura Brodzinsky, MD, is a Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, School of Medicine, at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. To read the full article click here: https://www.jointcommission.org/resources/news-and-multimedia/blogs/improvement-insights/2021/names-and-roles-on-surgical-caps/
If you would like to purchase name and role personalised TheatreCaps please check out our website TheatreCaps.com. All profits from the sale of our caps go towards supporting other patient safety initiatives.
