Page 70 - Avoiding Surgical Mishaps Part 1

SVMIC Avoiding Surgical Mishaps: Dissecting the Risks

The policy should:

• Define what types of calls are routine vs. urgent vs. critical

– post-surgical calls may require heightened attention

• Instruct where such calls are to be directed (i.e., when it is

appropriate to transfer the caller to a clinical staff person or
the physician)

• Define response times for each type of call:

» If it is determined that the call is urgent, respond
immediately

» If it is determined that the call is non-urgent and
cannot be returned until later, staff should advise the

patient when a response can be expected, but all
calls should be returned by the end of the day

Follow-Up Appointments

All patients in need of a return office visit (even
those asked to follow-up after hospitalization)

should be scheduled before leaving the office/
hospital and given a reminder card complete

with date and time, along with any additional
instructions. If the patient leaves the office/

hospital without scheduling a follow-up office visit and ongoing
treatment is needed, efforts should be made to reach the patient

and schedule the appointment. Documentation of these efforts
should be recorded in the patient’s medical record.

Likewise, there should also be a mechanism in place to track

patients discharged from the hospital. A patient who requires
follow-up after hospitalization has a risk of being lost by virtue

of the fact that he/she is not within the office confines at

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