As part of the lab’s vision, we are working on translating research to improve team performance, wellness and patient safety. These projects are taking form as on the ground initiatives, as educational resources for surgical training, and as tools in the operating room.

The TransfORmation Project
This initiative came out of research around team culture and communications in the operating room. We identified five themes that influence some aspects of multidisciplinary teamwork. The working group includes representatives from nursing, anaesthesia, anaesthesia assistants, OR attendants, perfusion, surgery, research, perioperative services, administration, management, and hospital leadership. The group is working on various local initiatives to share research findings and foster teamwork in the OR.

Pre-operative Planning modules
Based on Dr. Moulton’s ‘Slowing down’ framework as well as research in surgical expertise, decision-making and cognition, we developed a series of video-based modules for teaching pre-operative planning. This educational resource started locally through the HPB fellowship program at the University of Toronto. The modules highlight the cognitive skills and approaches before and during surgery. Through a partnership with the International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association and Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association, the modules are now available on MyHPB and feature international experts and discussions in several languages.

Intraoperative Hand Off tools
During handoff, important patient information is exchanged. To improve communication, the goal of this project was to evaluate, develop, and implement handoff tools in the OR. Our project team included team champions from Surgery, Nursing, Anesthesia and Perfusion. The multidisciplinary effort helped to create communication tools that are informed by and representative of everyday practice. The research that went into this project is now published in Annals of Surgery.

Cover image: Douglas Buller