S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 1 7
F
amily and friends who escort patients
undergoing longer surgeries may have a 2-
to 3-hour wait ahead of them, and some-
times they've skipped breakfast or lunch to pro-
vide the ride. So we've always been willing to let
them step out during the procedure, as long as
they leave us their cell phone numbers.
But it's become a chronic problem that a
patient is in post-op and her ride still hasn't
returned. When we call the escorts, they say
Sorry! I lost track of time. Or they're a consider-
able distance away or they don't answer right
away and we have to leave a message. Regardless, the result is the
same for us and our patients: delayed discharge.
Our solution: We advise escorts that they should plan to stay on site,
but if they choose to leave, they'll have to sign out. We've created a
Patient Ride Log that includes the patient's label, the escort's name
and cell number, the time they left and the time by which we expect
them to return (10 to 15 minutes before the case is scheduled to end).
We ask them to sign it, and to check in with us when they return.
We've tracked the actual return times on the forms and so far 100% of
the escorts who leave have been back on time. Clearly, giving them this
agreement ensures they understand the importance of returning on
time, and having them sign on the line makes them accountable to it.
Martha R. Colen, RN, MBA, CASC
Virginia Beach (Va.) Ambulatory Surgery Center
mrcolen@sentara.com
Make Patients' Escorts Accountable for the Ride Home
Download our Patient Ride Log at outpatientsurgery.net/forms.
• STRANDED The patient's ready to be dis-
charged, but her ride home is nowhere to be
found.