Surgeons and their staff are supposed to maintain strict concentration during a procedure, right? You would think so, but there are an alarming number of reports about doctors and operating staff texting during a procedure. Some of the incidents have lead to serious surgery errors.
In addition to texting during surgery, other doctors have talked on their cell phones and browsed the web on the phones or tablets. A report in Anesthesiology News showed that nurse anesthetists and residents browsed the web in 54 percent of their procedures. Even more alarming is that they did it knowing that someone was observing their behavior. In 2010, nearly half of 439 medical technicians admitted to texting during a cardiopulmonary bypass procedure.
It gets worse. Most operating rooms have a computer for monitoring equipment. One medical director told The New York Times that several colleagues used the computer during surgery for online shopping and checking e-mail. The smart thing to do would be to ban cell phones and other electronic gadgets during surgery. However, doctors do not want an outright ban; they just want more responsible cell phone use during surgery.
Researchers call it “distracted doctoring” and it appears to be a new form of medical negligence.
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