Design and Evaluation of a Team Timeout Checklist (TTOC) to Improve Information Exchange in the Operating Room Before Skin Incision

NCT07189481 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: University of Leipzig Ethics
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 151
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

In this study, we designed and evaluated a team timeout checklist (TTOC) which aimed at improving team communication and information exchange before skin incision. The WHO surgical safety checklist was used as a basis with the following changes: we clarified the wording of specific items (e.g., surgical site), we clarified checks by denoting separate items involved for each check, and we denoted circulating nurses as responsible for checklist readout and adherence.

Conditions

Checklist; Teamwork; Information Exchange

Keywords

checklist; timeout; teamwork; communication

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• information exchange

  this measure assessed whether all sub-items on the TTOC were adequately checked and respective information audibly shared in the team

  from the time patients were rolled into the OR until skin incision

• team communication

  using a validate coding scheme, we assessed how team members communicated with each other using professional coding software to log a set of ten behaviors (e.g., instructions, questions, confirmations, speaking up...)

  from the time patients were rolled into the OR until skin incision

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• duration of pre skin incision period with and without checklist

  from the time patients were rolled into the OR until skin incision

Study Arms (1)

pre-post intervention study

teams were observed before and after checklist use

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

OR personnel working in orthopedics and traumatology: surgeons, anesthesiologists, anesthesia nurses, circulating nurses, technical support staff

You may not qualify if:

• anyone who did not give their oral consent to be observed during surgeries

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Jena: lead
• University of Leipzig: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University Hospital Leipzig

Leipzig, Germany

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Communication

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: OTHER
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor Mona Weiss, PhD

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 16, 2025
• First Posted: September 24, 2025
• Study Start: August 1, 2024
• Primary Completion: May 31, 2025
• Study Completion: May 31, 2025
• Last Updated: September 24, 2025

Record last verified: 2024-06

Locations

DE (1)