Safer Surgery

'This excellent and original book is clearly targeted at its intended audience.' HIGHLY COMMENDED in the Surgery Category of the 2010 BMA Book Awards. 'The expectation of improved performance in the operating room by the public, healthcare managers and funders leads to a need to understand and measure performance of surgical teams. This book provides an up-to-date overview of surgical performance research from across the globe. The use of this work to assess both non-technical and technical skills of operating teams will undoubtedly drive changes beneficial to patients.' Bruce Barraclough, President, International Society for Quality in Health Care 'It is increasingly recognised that adverse events in the operating theatre arise from poor teamwork and poor communications, or deficiencies in our systems. It is also acknowledged that modern day surgery is increasingly complex and beyond the gift of any one professional or professional group to deliver and assure. The delivery of safer surgery depends on high performing teams who understand and recognise the interdependencies of their roles and contribution. This fascinating text, edited by Flin and Mitchell, brings together the work of leading researchers from medicine, psychology and safety critical industries, to expose the culture, professional hierarchies and behaviours endemic to our operating theatres. In this unique collection, each chapter highlights behavioural studies and educational approaches to develop professionals' non-technical skills and enhance safety in the theatre environment. Human error and systems failure contribute to "never" events and what we know to be avoidable harm; this text makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of what must change in our health systems and how we prepare future professionals to improve surgical safety.' Jane Reid, President, International Federation of Perioperative Nurses, UK 'Despite a traditional focus heavily directed toward technical experti