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Annals of Behavioral Medicine
Published in: Annals of Behavioral Medicine 4/2016

01-08-2016 | Original Article

An Ethogram to Quantify Operating Room Behavior

Authors: Laura K. Jones, PhD, Bonnie Mowinski Jennings, PhD, RN, FAAN, Ryan M. Goelz, BS, Kent W. Haythorn, MSN, RN, Joel B. Zivot, MD, Frans B. M. de Waal, PhD

Published in: Annals of Behavioral Medicine | Issue 4/2016

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Abstract

Background

The operating room (OR) is a highly social and hierarchical setting where interprofessional team members must work interdependently under pressure. Due primarily to methodological challenges, the social and behavioral sciences have had trouble offering insight into OR dynamics.

Purpose

We adopted a method from the field of ethology for observing and quantifying the interpersonal interactions of OR team members.

Methods

We created and refined an ethogram, a catalog of all our subjects’ observable social behaviors. The ethogram was then assessed for its feasibility and interobserver reliability.

Results

It was feasible to use an ethogram to gather data in the OR. The high interobserver reliability (Cohen’s Kappa coefficients of 81 % and higher) indicates its utility for yielding largely objective, descriptive, quantitative data on OR behavior.

Conclusions

The method we propose has potential for social research conducted in healthcare settings as complex as the OR.
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Metadata
Title
An Ethogram to Quantify Operating Room Behavior
Authors
Laura K. Jones, PhD
Bonnie Mowinski Jennings, PhD, RN, FAAN
Ryan M. Goelz, BS
Kent W. Haythorn, MSN, RN
Joel B. Zivot, MD
Frans B. M. de Waal, PhD
Publication date
01-08-2016
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Annals of Behavioral Medicine / Issue 4/2016
Print ISSN: 0883-6612
Electronic ISSN: 1532-4796
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-016-9773-0

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