Page 67 - 2022 Risk Basics - Surgical Practice

SVMIC Risk Basics: Surgical Practice

what’s already in the record. Frequently, inaccurate drug

dosages unnoticed in the medical record result in patient
harm.

Conclusion

It’s common knowledge that surgery carries risk, and the

opportunity for human error is a given. Improved technology,
guidelines, checklists, timeouts, and other strategies for patient

safety are only successful if they are implemented in a
consistent and uniform manner with buy-in from the surgical

team. Of utmost importance, surgical providers and practice

managers should promote a culture of safety and teamwork
and educate staff on their role in improving patient safety.

The goal of this course was to give you an overview of risk

issues and factors contributing to common surgical mishaps.
We examined cases in which medical errors were not

necessarily the result of a healthcare practitioner’s knowledge

deficit, lack of clinical judgment, medical expertise, or technical
skills. Rather, the errors were the result of breakdowns in

communication or poorly designed or neglected systems. It is
our hope that this course reminds you to evaluate your current

systems and processes and ensure they are effective and
consistently followed.

Be sure you have an effective tracking method for all lab tests

and diagnostic imaging as well as missed or canceled

appointments. Ensure that appropriate efforts are made to
contact the patient and reschedule the appointment in

situations where the patient may suffer if treatment is delayed

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