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schedule if a spot is available.
Some delays are inevitable, says Mr. Prescott, but you can certainly track why
cases are delayed, see if trends develop and address them so disruptions to the
surgical schedule don't become the norm. He presented a simple Excel spreadsheet that shows when cases are scheduled to begin, and when they actually do.
Cases that start on time are marked green, while procedures that are delayed
are marked red, and a reason is noted. "We'd see if pre-op nurses are having
trouble starting IVs, or perhaps the issue is masking some other problem that
needs to be addressed," explains Mr. Prescott.
His initiative laid down pre-admission law and led to numerous benefits: the
elimination of day-of-surgery testing, more on-time starts, fewer case cancellations for medical reasons, complete pre-op testing and documentation, and
improved teamwork and collaboration among the perioperative team.
— D.C.
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S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | D E C E M B E R 2013
