Should ORs have hidden cameras?

[traxxradiorocks]

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It really got me thinking whether it is beneficial for the patients and for the staff if the ORs were to have hidden cameras recording the activities in the ORs.

What do you guys think?

 

[Winged Scapula]

What's the purpose of having them hidden (notwithstanding the legal issues behind such activity)? I'm not even allowed to take a photo of a patient with my cell phone (they even tried to prohibit photos at all until I pointed out that their own consent form allowed for it).

FWIW, one of the hospitals I work at now has cameras in all the ORs which I'm told are just for the board runner to keep track of who's in the room, what progress is being made etc. No one can verify for me if sound is being recorded.

The next logical step of course is some plaintiff's attorney subpoenaing those tapes. I'd better watch my use of the F word.

I can see no benefit for staff or patient except to use them to try and "prove" someone did or said something wrong.

 

[traxxradiorocks]

Do you think that the staff would be less inappropriate or the senior staff would be less abusive if they were to know that there might be multiple hidden cameras filming their every move and sound?

 

[europeman]

at our institution every OR is recorded on video WITH sound and it doesn't stop anyone from being inappropriate.

 

[DrBowtie]

Do you think that the staff would be less inappropriate or the senior staff would be less abusive if they were to know that there might be multiple hidden cameras filming their every move and sound?

It would make for a more brutal experience out of the OR. It would also just give some of the "untouchable" faculty a bigger stage to mock people on.

 

[LucidSplash]

1) I think we're unlikely to reach a consensus on a definition of inappropriate.
2) I think this would ultimately lead to significantly less resident involvement in the OR.
3) I think if you feel like you need cameras to keep staff from being "abusive," the true problem you have on your hands is unlikely to be fixed by some cameras.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Do you think that the staff would be less inappropriate or the senior staff would be less abusive if they were to know that there might be multiple hidden cameras filming their every move and sound?

As noted above, not the worst offenders.

It might keep someone like me, who is generally well mannered, from being profane or making derogatory comments about the patient, other staff, other surgeons, etc. but I think it less likely to curb "abuse".

Then again, I'm not sure "abuse" is rampant enough in most places to warrant videotaping.

 

[cpants]

I think it would be disastrous to training. Knowing there is a permanent video recording of the entire procedure, how likely are attendings going to be to allow residents to struggle through difficult procedures? How likely are they going to be to allow a medical student to struggle through a closure for 15 minutes, knowing that when the patient gets a wound infection that tape might be played in front of a jury. What's more, it's unnecessary. The tradeoff of possibly less abuse or foul language in no way justifies the use of video recording.

 

[Winged Scapula]

I think it would be disastrous to training. Knowing there is a permanent video recording of the entire procedure, how likely are attendings going to be to allow residents to struggle through difficult procedures? How likely are they going to be to allow a medical student to struggle through a closure for 15 minutes, knowing that when the patient gets a wound infection that tape might be played in front of a jury. What's more, it's unnecessary. The tradeoff of possibly less abuse or foul language in no way justifies the use of video recording.

Yep...although it is my sense that the fear of litigation is less in academic circles than in PP, you can bet that I am much more aware of such things than I was in the past. As a matter of fact, now that this thread/idea has been raised, I realize that especially with students in the room, I should probably be more cautious.

 

[45408]

Definitely not. I cannot imagine how this would ultimately improve patient care. As others have pointed out, student/resident education would definitely suffer, especially in difficult cases. It would make it a much more austere work environment, in a place that benefits from some occasional humor. If things are really going poorly, it probably helps to swear and let off some steam, but that could make it look like you're losing control when the jury is watching it...

 

[Ronin2258]

Oh, H***, NO!

One of the things that make the operating room home to me is that I can let loose a bit, depending on my attending and my nurses. Most of the time, we were all in the same mindset. Inappropriate surgical team was inappropriate together. The "surgical jabbing" was more like a family having fun. But when SHTF, we clammed up and did the job.

Even in the service as a tech, I was ordered by surgeons "I don't care what you do in the operating room, just do the job well." It is something I carry on with people who work around me.

Unless the hospital is hosting a reality TV show or is doing a landmark case, the only cameras I want in the OR is to document pathology on a AS NEEDED basis.

 

[Tired Pigeon]

Putting aside the question of whether or not there should be cameras in the OR, I'm still not clear on why cameras would be hidden under any circumstances. This sounds like something lawyers would try to do.