There are inherent risks when undergoing surgery, but hospitals are collecting data, implementing new strategies and using technology to reduce risk and prevent adverse events, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
Listed below are 10 examples of changes hospitals are making to avoid surgical errors, as outlined by The Wall Street Journal.
1. Roughly 600 hospitals are measuring their surgical quality by participating in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. As part of the program, hospitals collect and analyze data on surgical complications, compare their data with other hospitals and take steps to fix problems in the future.
2. Ten hospitals involved in the NSQIP program in Tennessee have examined surgical complication rates by procedure to indentify areas were improvement is necessary.
3. Some hospitals have found the use of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses' surgical safety-checklist reduces complications.
4. Anesthesiologists specifically have volunteered their adverse event data to a registry that allows practices to compare data with one another.
5. By delaying elective surgeries until patients are strengthened or in better health and ensuring patients were fully bathed with antiseptic pre-surgery, hospitals have been able to reduce the risk of complications.
6. Some hospitals have focused on improving post-operative care by getting patients walking sooner or using blood thinners to prevent clots to avoid adverse events.
7. Using technology has also helped make surgeries safer. For instance, many hospitals have begun requiring patients be X-rayed before leaving the ER if any sponges or instruments are missing.
8. Some hospitals use sponges with radio-frequency identification tags and scan patients to make sure no sponges were left inside of the patient.
9. Educating surgeons and staff about the functions and hazards of the tools and energy devices used in the operating room also helps hospitals avoid surgical fires and other adverse events.
10. Efforts have also been made to address how some surgeons behave in ways that contribute to complications and safety issues. Many hospitals and health systems have rolled out training for surgeons to encourage teamwork, discourage intimidating and problematic behavior, and foster a stronger culture of patient safety.
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