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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4 | O U T P AT 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
Relaxed confidence, however, should never be confused with letting
your guard down.
Quality time outs
Having programmed time outs right before procedures is supposed to
ensure that everyone's on the same page, that everything's in order and
that nothing will go wrong. But studies show that confusion, distrac-
tions and a general lack of commitment to the process are dramatically
diluting the time out's strength.
There's confusion, for example, over when exactly they should take
place. "Everybody questions that," says Mr. Byrum. "We recommend
strongly that the time out be done just before the incision. We've seen
a number of cases where a time out has been done, and for whatever
P R E - O P S A F E T Y
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