the form, surgeon and
procedure. Specify
whether you're
adding, deleting or
replacing the item,
quantity needed, and
whether it should be
opened or available.
Leave space for com-
ments and explana-
tions.
Vet changes.
Confirm all
changes with all affected parties before providing new cards. And
proofread any new narrative text for clarity. That's especially impor-
tant when the card may be several pages long.
Always update the pick list and the clinical narrative. When cli-
nicians make card changes, they may alter both the pick list and
narrative portions, but not convey the correct information to both.
The result can be like a recipe that lists salt (pick list), but doesn't tell
you when to add the salt, or how much of it (narrative). If an item is
discussed in the clinical narrative but not included on the pick list, it's
likely that the item won't be pulled for the case.
Clean up duplicates, triplicates, etc. If your preference cards
are generated by electronic records, sometimes multiple cards
are created for the same CPT code. This can happen due to different
diagnoses, if the procedure is spelled differently ("lap appy" instead of
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S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 3 9
• POINT PERSON Put one nurse in charge of updating and managing your prefer-
ence cards.
