Published 2/26/2025
AAOS has released an updated information statement, “Use of Structured Communication Tools to Improve Surgical Patient Safety,” emphasizing the critical role of effective communication in surgical care. Clear, accurate, and timely communication between surgeons and their teams is foundational to ensuring patient safety, delivering high-quality care, and achieving successful outcomes.
Structured communication tools are essential for fostering a culture of safety in the OR. These tools standardize interactions, enhance situational awareness, and reduce the risk of medical errors. The updated statement encourages the use of routine techniques such as:
- surgical team briefs: preoperative discussions when roles, expectations, anticipated outcomes, and potential contingencies are addressed
- surgical team huddles: ad hoc discussions during procedures to reassess the situation, reinforce the plan, and adapt as necessary
- surgical time-outs: structured pauses to confirm critical details, such as patient identity, surgical site, procedure, implant(s), and, if applicable, spine level
- surgical team debriefs: postoperative reviews aimed at evaluating team performance and identifying areas for improvement in future cases
- SBAR (situation, background, assessment, recommendation): a standardized communication technique to convey urgent patient information:
- situation: clear, concise explanation of the issue
- background: relevant clinical context
- assessment: current clinical impression
- recommendation: suggested actions
- call-outs: when team members are empowered to relay critical information promptly and effectively
- check-back or read-back: a closed-loop communication process where information is repeated back to confirm understanding
- hand-offs: structured transfers of care between team members, ensuring clarity of responsibility and accurate information exchange; minimizes errors and adheres to the Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals, which mandate standardized hand-off protocols with opportunities for clarification
AAOS highlights that surgeon leadership is crucial for implementing these tools effectively. Surgeons set the tone for communication within the team and play a pivotal role in fostering a culture of mutual respect and collaboration. Regular education and training for surgical teams can help build the necessary non-technical skills to optimize performance in any surgical setting.
Effective communication is a critical skill that strengthens collaboration and reduces risks in surgical care. Supported by surgeon leadership, structured communication tools enable surgical teams to work cohesively and provide safe, higher-quality care.
This update reflects AAOS’ commitment to advancing patient safety and supporting orthopaedic surgeons and surgical teams in achieving excellence. Members are encouraged to review the updated information statement to better understand how structured communication tools can enhance their practice and improve outcomes.