J. G. Luc1, E. M. Corsini2, K. G. Mitchell2, N. S. Turner2, A. A. Vaporciyan2, M. B. Antonoff2 1University Of British Columbia,Cardiovascular Surgery,Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 2University Of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center,Thoracic And Cardiovascular Surgery,Houston, TX, USA
Introduction: As surgeons, we rely on allied health professionals in our day-to-day work in the operating room and care of patients; as such, it is imperative for us to learn about and embrace generational and sex-specific differences in their perceptions and responses to our behavior. The present study aims to study the effect of allied health respondent sex as stratified by generation on their perceptions and responses to various surgeon behaviors through five realistic intraoperative scenarios.
Methods: A prospective, randomized study was conducted in which operating room personnel were asked to assess surgeon operating room behavior across a standardized set of five scenarios via an online survey. For each scenario, respondents were asked to identify the behavior as either acceptable, unacceptable but would ignore, unacceptable and would confront the surgeon or unacceptable and would report to management. Chi-squared analyses were used to compare respondent assessment of surgeon behavior with respondent generation and sex.
Results: The response rate was 4.4% (3101/71143) of which 41% of respondents were baby boomers (n=1280; 249 male, 1031 female), 31% were Gen X (n=955; 197 male, 758 female) and 28% were Gen Y (n=866; 130 male, 736 female). Overall tolerance of surgeon behavior by scenario is shown in the Figure. Baby boomer males were more likely to find it inappropriate and would report the surgeon compared to baby boomer females in regards to surgeon impatience in the operating room (Male 8.8% vs. Female 1.9%, p<0.001) and surgeon lateness for a case (Male 10.4% vs. Female 6.0%, p=0.013). Whereas baby boomer females were more likely to find surgeon swearing to be inappropriate and would report the surgeon (Male 24.1% vs. Female 32.0%, p=0.015). In terms of a surgeon forgetting a timeout, baby boomer females (Male 44.6% vs. Female 59.3%, p<0.001) and Gen X females (Male 40.1% vs. Female 54.2%, p<0.001) were more likely to find it inappropriate and would talk to the surgeon directly than males. Baby boomer females were also more likely to find surgeon shouting in the operating room in a crisis to be inappropriate but would let it go when compared to baby boomer males (Male 9.6% vs. Female 17.1%, p=0.004).
Conclusion: Results of our prospective randomized study demonstrate that operating room respondent generation and sex affects their perceptions and response to surgeon behavior. Awareness of generational and sex-specific differences in perceptions of surgeon behavior is key to improving the intraoperative environment for all.
