Cait Jordan

Serious Games for the Surgical Environment: Addressing Multisensory Communication Modes for Improved Patient Safety

Preventable adverse errors in the operating room account for the third leading cause of death in North America. While process improvements have been made, the larger system of communications and information exchanges amongst surgical team members requires further development. Communication within the operating room must be clearly and efficiently delivered in order to prevent medical errors, mortality or future health complications for the patient. As technical skills are prioritized within the surgical environment, communication is considered a non-technical skill that requires minimal training. Current forms of communication are generally invisible and ambiguous during high-stress situations and can be easily misinterpreted. In order to decrease adverse errors and improve patient safety, the complexities between speech, gaze, touch, gesture and movement must be understood amongst team members must be considered. The design of serious games provides team members with tangible tools for learning and developing strategy for multisensory team communication. These tools ensure the affordances of multisensory communication and information amongst team members can be effectively exchanged during safety-critical events. http://openresearch.ocadu.ca/id/eprint/2335/