E. Taylor1, S. Lawrence1,2,3, E. Hechenbleikner1,2,3, Y. Hong1,2,3, C. Zheng1,2,3, L. Boyle1,2,3, W. Al-Refaie1,2,3 1Georgetown University Medical Center,Washington, DC, USA 2Georgetown University Medical Center,MH-SORC,Washington, DC, USA 3Georgetown University Medical Center,MGUH,Washington, DC, USA
Introduction: Music in the operating room (OR) has been shown to have diverse effects on physician and staff intraoperative performance. However, its influence on individual performance remains to be explored. This study aimed to identify the self-reported impact of music in the OR on performance in a major metropolitan academic teaching hospital.
Methods: The 10-item questionnaire was developed by a multidisciplinary team on the OR safety committee and sent to 375 OR physicians and staff via an online survey tool. Data were collected anonymously over five weeks. Chi-square analysis and logistic regression were used to analyze factors associated with frequency and self-evaluated impact of music in the OR.
Results: The overall response rate was 53%. Almost half of all respondents (47.5%) aged 30-50; women and men were equally presented in the sample. The majority of respondents (72%) often or always listened to music in the OR; 69% listened to music in the OR chosen by the attending surgeon. Respectively, 73%, 55% and 47% of respondents found music in the OR improved their mood, efficiency and concentration. However, 40% reported that music restricts their communication in the OR. Younger, male and surgeon respondents listen to music in the OR more often than their older, female and non-surgeon colleagues (all P<0.05). Similarly, the adjusted odds ratios showed similar trends predictive of favorable self-reported impact of music in the OR (Table).
Conclusion: This large, multi-specialty survey found that music in the OR improves mood for most participants but has a mixed impact on self-reported efficiency, concentration and communication. To corroborate our results, these trends need to be tested in other OR settings. Our findings encourage future investigation on the impact of music on OR dynamic and safety measures.
