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JANUARY 2015 | O U T PAT I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T
fifth (18%) would and 7% were unsure.
"Absolutely no. It still takes time for medications including
propofol to wear off… Imagine if the patient took a taxi home
and with [his] slower response time got hit by a car, and was
severely injured or died," says Paul Rein, DO, an anesthesiologist
in Virginia.
Many note that CMS and accreditation agencies require that all
patients who receive any kind of sedation after surgery be
released to "a responsible adult." "We follow Joint Commission
standards, which state that the patient must be discharged to the
care of a responsible adult. The taxi driver is not considered to be
that responsible adult," says one facility manager. "I don't know of
any cab driver that is willing to sign a discharge sheet saying he is
'responsible' for said patient," says another.
Several respondents warn that discharging a patient via taxi-
cab is a safety risk for the patient as well as the facility, meaning
that the provider and facility would be liable if something bad
were to happen. "Patients who are altered in any way should be
discharged to a person that is willing to be responsible for them
while in their supervision. I doubt cab drivers would be willing
to assume that responsibility," says a respondent.
One reader says that while the facility does not release
patients to taxis, it does use a "medical transport service."
Others note that it's important to be sure to make arrange-
ments for escorts before the day of surgery. "This should be
ascertained pre-procedure (responsible adult available)," says
an anesthesia provider. "If none, then no procedure."
— Kendal Gapinski
