Introductions during time-outs: do surgical team members know one another's names?

Communication failures in the operating room are a patient safety issue, and knowing other team members' names may help reduce hierarchies that contribute to errors. Introductions are the first step in the surgical time-out in the World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist. However, this study—conducted in the operating rooms of three teaching hospitals—suggests that team members often do not know each other's names and may not view introductions as important for maintaining safety.