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J U N E 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
by anticipating errors we can limit them and catch them before they
cause harm. Here's more of what I learned.
1. Be accountable. When you make a mistake, turn the
regret into action. Your respect for the patient and the team is clear
when you work to figure out how such errors happen, do what you
can to prevent them and build systems to catch the inevitable errors
before they cause harm. Accountability starts with an appreciation
that humans are imperfect. When you expect to err, you will help
build, champion and implement effective safety systems, like the sur-
gical safety checklist and hard time outs. You'll also help build a safe-
ty culture: a setting where people feel comfortable speaking up. My
good fortune was that I work in a place that has worked steadily to
W R O N G - S I T E S U R G E R Y
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