2. Time-out reminders
Ms. Wein says time-out reminder signs hang in each OR at the Saint
Clare's Health System. The signs state that the whole surgical team
must agree on the correct patient, procedure, clinical decisions, con-
sent and lab tests.
Whether you use time-out reminders posted on walls, printed on
instrument sleeves or embossed on towels, or simply ingrain the pre-
op pause into the culture of your facility, surgical teams have to focus
on confirming surgery's essentials before every procedure, with each
member of the team playing an active role in the discussion.
For that reason, there's no such thing as same-day cataracts at
Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center, even though patients are dis-
charged soon after procedures end. Patients don't present for surgery
until pre-op testing is complete, needed implants are on hand and
paperwork is filled in correctly.
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O U T P A T 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 | M A R C H 2 0 1 5
Barnet
Dulaney
Perkins
Eye
Center
z FILL IN THE BLANKS Pre-printed labels save time
and improve the accuracy of medication administration.
