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Elamin A, Walker E, Sugrue M, Khalid SY, Stephens I, Lloyd A. Enhancing operative documentation of emergency laparotomy: a systematic review and development of a synoptic reporting template. World J Emerg Surg 2023; 18:53. [PMID: 38037125 PMCID: PMC10688081 DOI: 10.1186/s13017-023-00523-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Currently, operative reports are narrative and often handwritten, making interpretation difficult and potentially omitting key steps of the procedure. This study undertook a systematic review to determine the current availability of synoptic operative reporting and develop a synoptic operative record template for emergency laparotomy (EL). METHODS A PROSPERO registered study from January 1st, 2012, to December 31st, 2022, was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases in February 2023. KEYWORDS emergency laparotomy AND operation notes OR operative notes OR documentation OR report OR pro forma OR narrative OR synoptic OR digital OR audio-visual. Studies on paediatric or pregnant patients, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, case reports, editorial comments, and letters were excluded. A synoptic operative record was designed to include key standards in the documentation, as suggested by the Colleges of Surgeons. RESULTS The literature search yielded 4687 articles, and no relevant published articles were found. A detailed synoptic template was developed, which included 111 fields related to patient demographics, operative findings, interventions, and documentation of key variables associated with patient outcomes. 11 were text boxes, two were related to digital audio-visual uploads, and three facilitated the digital scoring/grading of findings. CONCLUSION This systematic review identified a limited number of publications reporting synoptic operative reporting, and none related to emergency laparotomy. This novel operative template provides a platform for clear documentation of the surgery performed during emergency laparotomy, potentially facilitating data analysis, resident training, and research, in turn leading to a better understanding of patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiman Elamin
- Department of Surgery, Letterkenny University Hospital and Donegal Clinical Research Academy, Letterkenny, Ireland
| | - Emma Walker
- Department of Surgery, Letterkenny University Hospital and Donegal Clinical Research Academy, Letterkenny, Ireland
| | - Michael Sugrue
- Department of Surgery, Letterkenny University Hospital and Donegal Clinical Research Academy, Letterkenny, Ireland.
| | - Syed Yousaf Khalid
- Department of Surgery, Letterkenny University Hospital and Donegal Clinical Research Academy, Letterkenny, Ireland
| | - Ian Stephens
- Department of Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Angus Lloyd
- Department of Surgery, Letterkenny University Hospital and Donegal Clinical Research Academy, Letterkenny, Ireland
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Vijayakumar S, Divakaran S, Khan I. Audit on the Quality of Operation Notes in Otolaryngology: Based on Electronic Template. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2022; 74:439-441. [PMID: 36213477 PMCID: PMC9535043 DOI: 10.1007/s12070-021-02492-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The operative note is a vital document in the treatment and safety of patients. Detailed recording of operation notes can be quite helpful in research, audit and medico-legal problems. This quality improvement programme was conducted to assess the quality of documentation on an electronic template in comparison to the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) guidelines. The electronic template used for recording operation notes was compared with RCS guidelines for completeness. A retrospective review of operation notes for all the operations performed by ENT over 1-month period was done. The deficiencies were shared with the department during monthly quality-improvement meetings. A second cycle was carried out in the month of September. The electronic template that is being used in our hospital matches completely with the RCS recommendation. A total of 90 operative records were analysed in the initial audit. The Compliance was 100% in all parameters except five. In the second cycle of audit, compliance was found to be 100% across all parameters, except one-showing considerable improvement. Electronic templates offer easy recording of operation notes without the help of aide memoire, despite which deficiencies do occur. Regular audits are needed to maintain good record-keeping.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shilpa Divakaran
- ENT, Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, Dudley Road, Birmingham, B18 7 QH UK
| | - Irfan Khan
- ENT, Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, Dudley Road, Birmingham, B18 7 QH UK
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O'Connor N, Sugrue M, Melly C, McGeehan G, Bucholc M, Crawford A, O'Connor P, Abu-Zidan F, Wani I, Balogh ZJ, Shelat VG, Tebala GD, De Simone B, Eid HO, Chirica M, Fraga GP, Di Saverio S, Picetti E, Bonavina L, Ceresoli M, Fette A, Sakakushe B, Pikoulis E, Coimbra R, Ten Broek R, Hecker A, Leppäniemi A, Litvin A, Stahel P, Tan E, Koike K, Catena F, Pisano M, Coccolini F, Johnston A. It's time for a minimum synoptic operation template in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a systematic review. World J Emerg Surg 2022; 17:15. [PMID: 35296354 PMCID: PMC8928637 DOI: 10.1186/s13017-022-00411-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the call to enhance accuracy and value of operation records few international recommended minimal standards for operative notes documentation have been described. This study undertook a systematic review of existing operative reporting systems for laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) to fashion a comprehensive, synoptic operative reporting template for the future. METHODS A search for all relevant articles was conducted using PubMed version of Medline, Scopus and Web of Science databases in June 2021, for publications from January 1st 2011 to October 25th 2021, using the keywords: laparoscopic cholecystectomy AND operation notes OR operative notes OR proforma OR documentation OR report OR narrative OR audio-visual OR synoptic OR digital. Two reviewers (NOC, GMC) independently assessed each published study using a MINORS score of ≥ 16 for comparative and ≥ 10 for non-comparative for inclusion. This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered with PROSPERO. Synoptic operative templates from published data were assimilated into one "ideal" laparoscopic operative report template following international input from the World Society of Emergency Surgery board. RESULTS A total of 3567 articles were reviewed. Following MINORS grading 25 studies were selected spanning 14 countries and 4 continents. Twenty-two studies were prospective. A holistic overview of the operative procedure documentation was reported in 6/25 studies and a further 19 papers dealt with selective surgical aspects of LC. A unique synoptic LC operative reporting template was developed and translated into Chinese/Mandarin, French and Arabic. CONCLUSION This systematic review identified a paucity of publications dealing with operative reporting of LC. The proposed new template may be integrated digitally with hospitals' medical systems and include additional narrative text and audio-visual data. The template may help define new OR (operating room) recording standards and impact on care for patients undergoing LC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niall O'Connor
- Department of Surgery, Letterkenny University Hospital and Donegal Clinical Research Academy, Donegal, Ireland
| | - Michael Sugrue
- Department of Surgery, Letterkenny University Hospital and Donegal Clinical Research Academy, Donegal, Ireland.
| | - Conor Melly
- Department of Surgery, Letterkenny University Hospital and Donegal Clinical Research Academy, Donegal, Ireland
| | - Gearoid McGeehan
- Department of Surgery, Letterkenny University Hospital and Donegal Clinical Research Academy, Donegal, Ireland
| | - Magda Bucholc
- EU INTERREG Centre for Personalized Medicine, Intelligent Systems Research Centre, School of Computing, Engineering and Intelligent Systems, Ulster University, Magee Campus, Derry-Londonderry, Northern Ireland
| | - Aileen Crawford
- Department of Surgery, Letterkenny University Hospital and Donegal Clinical Research Academy, Donegal, Ireland
| | - Paul O'Connor
- Department of Anaesthesia, Letterkenny University Hospital, Donegal, Ireland
| | - Fikri Abu-Zidan
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Zsolt J Balogh
- John Hunter Hospital and University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Giovanni D Tebala
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital. Headley Way, Headington, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Belinda De Simone
- Poissy/Saint Germain en Laye Hospitals, Poissy-Ile de France, France
| | - Hani O Eid
- Abu Dhabi Police Aviation, HEMS, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Mircea Chirica
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Gustavo P Fraga
- Division of Trauma Surgery, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas (Unicamp), Campinas, Brazil
| | | | - Edoardo Picetti
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Parma University Hospital, Parma, Italy
| | - Luigi Bonavina
- Division of General and Foregut Surgery, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Ceresoli
- General and Emergency Surgery, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of MIlano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | | | - Boris Sakakushe
- RIMU/Research Institute at Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Emmanouil Pikoulis
- Department of Surgery, Attikon General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Raul Coimbra
- Riverside University Health System Medical CA and Loma Linda University School of Medicine CA, Riverside, USA
| | - Richard Ten Broek
- Department of Surgery. Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Andreas Hecker
- Department of General and Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Ari Leppäniemi
- Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Andrey Litvin
- Department of Surgical Disciplines, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Regional Clinical Hospital, Kaliningrad, Russia
| | - Philip Stahel
- Department of Specialty Medicine, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Rocky Vista University, Parker, CO, 80134, USA
| | - Edward Tan
- Department of Surgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Federico Coccolini
- General, Emergency and Trauma Surgery Department, Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alison Johnston
- Department of Surgery, Letterkenny University Hospital and Donegal Clinical Research Academy, Donegal, Ireland
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Farquharson BJ, Sivarajah V, Mahdi S, Bergman H, Jeyarajah S. Where is the nerve? Review of operation note documentation practice for inguinal hernia repair. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2021; 103:651-655. [PMID: 34412537 DOI: 10.1308/rcsann.2021.0024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Careful identification and management of inguinal nerves during inguinal hernia repair is important to avoid iatrogenic injury. Documentation of this practice may inform postoperative clinical management. We set out to investigate how often surgeons identify inguinal nerves and document findings and management in their operation notes. METHODS We carried out a retrospective review of operation notes at a single district general hospital. We analysed operation notes for documentation of identification and intraoperative management (preservation or sacrifice) of the inguinal nerves (iliohypogastric, ilioinguinal, genital branch of genitofemoral nerve). We collected data on the baseline characteristics of the patients, hernia characteristics and primary operating surgeons for subgroup analysis. RESULTS A total of 100 patients were included in the analysis. Identification of any inguinal nerves (generic 'nerve') was documented in 17% of operation notes. Documentation in the operation notes of named individual nerves was limited. No documentation of intraoperative management of inguinal nerves was found in 83% of operation notes. Preservation of the inguinal nerves (generic 'nerve') was recorded in 8% and sacrifice recorded in 9% of cases. Subgroup analysis revealed similar incidence of documentation of identification and management of inguinal nerves across grades of primary surgeon, with overall incidence low for all grades. CONCLUSION This study reveals a lack of appreciation of the importance of documenting identification and management of inguinal nerves in operation notes. Further consideration of the potential implications of poor documentation would be beneficial to improve standards.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - S Mahdi
- East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, UK
| | - H Bergman
- East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, UK
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Mencia MM, Persaud D, Ragbir K, Goalan R, White K. Operation notes in orthopaedics: Beliefs and practices in a developing country. Trop Doct 2021; 52:11-14. [PMID: 34313500 DOI: 10.1177/00494755211033091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Maintaining accurate and complete operation notes is an essential metric of the quality of surgical care. While developed countries have implemented electronic health records to improve documentation, financial constraints prevent this realisation in the Caribbean. Somewhat paradoxically, previous studies in this area have focussed on 'process' while neglecting the key role of the surgeon. We conducted a 25-item Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices survey of orthopaedic doctors to identify any culturally unique health-related behaviours. Our results indicate that while most doctors understand the importance of operation notes, many are unaware of international note-keeping recommendations. Legibility was identified as a significant issue by 92% of doctors. A disturbing and previously unreported finding from the study revealed that 72% of surgeons would occasionally write the operation notes, although they were not scrubbed in for the procedure. We suggest that future studies examine this peculiar behaviour in greater detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlon M Mencia
- Department of Clinical Surgical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.,Department of Surgery, Port of Spain General Hospital, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Diana Persaud
- Department of Surgery, Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt. Hope, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Kevianne Ragbir
- Department of Surgery, Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt. Hope, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Raakesh Goalan
- Department of Surgery, Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt. Hope, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Kimani White
- Department of Surgery, Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt. Hope, Trinidad and Tobago
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Masterton G, Hassan D, Siddiqui A. Does the development and implementation of a procedure-specific proforma for skin lesion surgery improve quality of operation notes? JPRAS Open 2021; 28:103-109. [PMID: 33855149 PMCID: PMC8027094 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpra.2021.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Operation notes often have omissions and are difficult to locate in patients notes despite clear guidance from the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) 'Good Surgical Practice' 2014 outlining what should be included in operation notes. Procedure-specific proformas are rarely used by Plastic surgeons despite being utilised by other specialities. With an alarming rise of incidence of skin malignancies there has been an increase in the number of skin lesions referred to Plastic surgeons for excision. The need for reliable, reproducible, accurate and easily accessible operating notes for skin lesion excision is pivotal for continuity of care and treatment planning. This study aimed at comparing the quality of skin lesion operation notes prior-to and after implementation of a procedure-specific proforma in relation to RCS recommendations. Methods Fourteen parameters from the recommendations by the RCS ‘Good Surgical Practice’ 2014 guidelines were used to audit skin lesion operation notes. The study consisted of a retrospective audit of 80 operation notes and a prospective audit of 80 operation notes following the development and implementation of a skin lesion procedure-specific proforma. We assessed and compared the operation notes overall compliance with the RCS guidelines. Statistical analysis highlighting the difference between both groups was performed using the independent sample t-test. Results After implementation of the skin lesion procedure-specific proforma, the average compliance with the RCS recommendations increased significantly from 87.5% retrospectively to 98.8% prospectively (p-value 0.0414). In 6 of the 14 parameters assessed significant improvements with regards compliance to the guidelines was demonstrated. Conclusion The development and implementation of a skin lesion procedure-specific proforma has demonstrated a significant improvement in the quality of operation notes within a Plastic surgery department which has the potential to minimise omissions and improve continuity of surgical patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary Masterton
- St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Blackshaw Road, Tooting, London SW17 0QT, UK
| | - Deniz Hassan
- St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Blackshaw Road, Tooting, London SW17 0QT, UK
| | - Aftab Siddiqui
- St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Blackshaw Road, Tooting, London SW17 0QT, UK
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Krishnan B, Prasad GA, Madhan B. Improving the Quality of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Notes in an Indian Public Sector Hospital in Accordance with the Royal College of Surgeons Guidelines: A Completed Audit Loop Study. J Maxillofac Oral Surg 2016; 15:315-320. [PMID: 27752200 DOI: 10.1007/s12663-015-0850-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2015] [Accepted: 09/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Proper and adequate documentation in operation notes is a basic tool of clinical practice with medical and legal implications. An audit was done to ascertain if oral and maxillofacial surgery operative notes in an Indian public sector hospital adhered to the guidelines published by the Royal College of Surgeons England. METHODS Fifty randomly selected operative notes were evaluated against the guidelines by RCS England with regards to the essential generic components of an operation note. Additional criteria relevant to oral and Maxillofacial Surgery were also evaluated. Changes were introduced in the form of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery specific consent forms, diagram sheets and a computerized operation note proforma containing all essential and additional criteria along with prefilled template of operative findings. Re-audit of 50 randomly selected operation notes was performed after a 6 month period. RESULTS In the 1st audit cycle, excellent documentation ranging from 94 to 100 % was seen in 9 essential criteria. Unsatisfactory documentation was observed in criteria like assistant name, date of surgery. Most consent forms contained abbreviations and some did not provide all details. Additional criteria specific to Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery scored poorly. In the 2nd Audit for loop completion, excellent documentation was seen in almost all essential and additional criteria. Mean percentage of data point inclusion improved from 84.6 to 98.4 % (0.001< P value <0.005). The use of abbreviations was seen in only 6 notes. CONCLUSION Regular audits are now considered a mandatory quality improvement process that seeks to improve patient care and outcomes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first completed audit on operation notes documentation in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from India. The introduction of a computerized operation note proforma showed excellent improvement in operation note documentation. Surgeons can follow the RCS guidelines to ensure standardization of operation notes.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Krishnan
- Department of Dentistry, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Pondicherry, 605006 India ; 74, 4th Cross, Thanthai Periyar Nagar, Ellaipillaichavady, Pondicherry, 605005 India
| | - G Arun Prasad
- Department of Dentistry, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Pondicherry, 605006 India
| | - B Madhan
- Department of Dentistry, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Pondicherry, 605006 India
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The General Medical Council states that effective note keeping is essential and records should be clear, accurate and legible. However previous studies of operation notes have shown they can be variable in quality and affect patient safety. This study compares the quality of operation notes against the National Standards set by the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) for improving patient safety. METHODS Information from Orthopaedic operation notes was collected prospectively over a 2-week period. All elective and trauma operations performed were included and trainees from the region coordinated data collection in 9 hospitals. RESULTS Data from 1092 operation notes was reviewed. A number of important standards were nearly met including legibility (98.4 %), the name of the operating surgeon (99.3 %) and the operation title (99.1 %). However a number of standards were not met and those with potential patient safety implications include availability on the ward (88.8 %), documentation of type of anaesthetic used (78.6 %), diagnosis (73.4 %) and findings (80.1 %). In addition, the postoperative instructions recorded the need for and type of postoperative antibiotics or venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in only 49.7 % and 48.8 % of cases respectively. CONCLUSIONS The quality and content of operation notes studied across the region in this period was variable. Use of software programmes in some hospitals for creating operation notes meant that some centres had better results for elements such as date, time and patient identification details. Following this study, greater awareness of the standards combined with additional local measures may improve the quality of operation notes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julia Blackburn
- Academic Clinical Fellow ST4 Trauma & Orthopaedics, Musculoskeletal Research Unit (MRU), Learning & Research Building, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, BS10 5NB UK
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