the time out, they stepped in and made the team redo the entire
process. That solved the issue.
Here's another effective way to ensure your surgical team reviews the
checklist before every case: Make sure the scrub tech doesn't hand the
scalpel to the surgeon until after the time out has been completed.
Positive results
Our standardized approach to the time out, which includes using
hardcopy and electronic versions of the surgical checklist, helped cre-
ate a culture of safety, reduced near-miss events and has resulted in
zero wrong-site surgeries. The checklist also keeps our patient safety
efforts organized. We know which staff member is responsible for
covering specific checks before surgery is allowed to begin. We also
found that the check-
list has improved our
team dynamics by
facilitating communi-
cation and focusing
everyone's efforts on
the practices that pro-
mote patient safety.
OSM
O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 2 1
Viscot
Communication
Boards
www.viscot.com
viscotcs@viscot.com
866.307.2757
Visibility to improve
patient & staff safety
• Free customization
• Disinfectant safe
• No Minimums
Contact us for your
free proof!
Dr. Ayad (tayad@
healthalliance.com
) is a nurse educa-
tor and nurse man-
ager at UMass
Memorial-
HealthAlliance
Hospital in
Leominster, Mass.
