Patients of surgeons who act unprofessionally in the operating room are more likely to experience surgical complications, according to a study published in JAMA Surgery.
For the study, researchers examined data from two geographically diverse academic medical centers participating in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. Data included information on 13,653 adult patients who underwent surgeries performed by 202 surgeons between January 2012 and December 2016.
Researchers also reviewed post-operative reports to assess whether colleagues reported unprofessional behaviors among surgeons, such as disrespectful communication or unsafe care, according to NPR.
Patients who had a surgeon with at least one report of unprofessional behavior in the past three years were up to 14 percent more likely to experience a complication within 30 days of surgery.
These findings suggest that surgeons' unprofessional behavior can hinder the surgical team's performance and threaten patient outcomes.