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4 Mark consistently
Patient safety authorities advise physicians to mark surgical sites clearly and unambiguously. Adopting a uniform system to signal this information can help ensure surgeons always mark the site right.
RECOGNIZABLE MARKS Establish a uniform marking system at your facility and even among your community's providers to ensure consistent safety.
Not that long ago, patients used to take it upon themselves to mark their sites at home before presenting for surgery, says Ms. Stewart. This occasionally brought confusion, as when cataract patients disoriented by a mirror's reflection marked the wrong eye. Alternatively, pre-op nurses marked surgical patients. Now, as mandated by authorities' guidelines, the site mark is made either by the physician who'll perform the surgery or a designated first assistant, someone who's guaranteed to attend the procedure.
The physicians operating at her clinic mark the site with their initials, with an X, or with a C for "Correct," but she's aiming to change that. "We prefer initials," she says. "That's our long-term goal. We made it a formal policy this summer, and we're continuing to educate. We're 95% there. We hope to be at 100% by year's end."
Ms. Stewart says consistent marking is worth working for, both at her facility and across town. Her ASC competes with 2 hospitals, where her surgeons occasionally operate. Over the past year, leadership from the 3 facilities hammered out a uniform site-marking protocol for all surgeons to follow.
5 Keep marked sites in sight
"One of the biggest errors you can make is failing to see the mark during the time out," says Dr. Clarke. If your marker's ink gets washed away by pre-op skin prep solutions, or if the mark is covered by drapes, the all-important
