What does OTAS mean in SURGICAL

OTAS stands for Observational Teamwork Assessment for Surgery. It is a standardized instrument used to assess the teamwork performance of operating room teams, which includes the surgeon and anesthesiologist. OTAS has been developed to evaluate behavior in the intraoperative environment and measure team performance.

The observation process of OTAS involves a trained observer who will sit in on an entire surgery case and use an established observation protocol to rate the team's performance across a range of domains. Data collection centers around three major categories; communication, coordination and collaboration.

Using OTAS provides surgical teams with objective feedback regarding their teamwork capabilities and performance in the operating room. This information can be used to identify areas needing improvement, as well as those areas that are working well so that team members can make changes or celebrate success where appropriate.

The focus of UTS is laparoscopic procedures within general surgery such as cholecystectomy, colectomy, hernia repair, and bariatric cases however many other specialties have adapted this model or similar ones.

Yes, prior to conducting any study with UTS it is recommended that teams review and practice the components of effective OR team communication through education sessions or simulation drills. Additionally, standardized language should be established amongst members before starting data collection in order to ensure consistency when collecting data.

Yes, prior to conducting an assessment with UTS staff should become familiar with the format and language associated with this evaluation tool by reviewing our presentation materials or attending one of our educational sessions. Preparation also includes ensuring that you have all materials needed including laptop computers for data collection purposes.

Assessments should be conducted by trained observers who are familiar not only with observational tools like UTS but also understand intraoperative behavior dynamics such as how various team members interact during cases both verbally and non-verbally.

An assessment generally takes several hours depending on the type of operation being observed as well as the number of team members involved in each case (surgeon/anesthesiologist/nurses etc.). Following completion time spent analyzing collected data depends on factors such what type of output is desired from analysis (trends/cultures changes/specific individual behaviors).

Yes – we provide example forms during orientation sessions that show different ways data may be recorded (i.e., verbal behavior versus non-verbal behavior). These documents serve as a reference point when actually collecting observations in real time situations.