Wrong-site Surgery Remains Common Medical Error

Wrong-site surgery remains a major problem in New Jersey and across the country. Operating on the wrong part of the body - or even the wrong patient - still occurs about 40 times every week in the U.S. It's a figure that cries out for improvement.

The data comes from a respected healthcare reform group, the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare. Healthcare professionalism themselves know they need to do better to prevent surgical errors and other common medical mistakes.

The CEO of one professional organization, Linda Groah of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), recently discussed several ways that healthcare providers can try to reduce wrong-site surgery.

Not surprisingly, one of the main recommendations was to implement a checklist. "The use of a checklist actually identifies everything that needs to be done for the patient pre-operatively, including marking the side and site of the surgery," Groah said.

The use of checklists has been proven to be effective in reducing errors. Its advocates include such leading figures in the medical profession as Peter Pronovost of Johns Hopkins and Atul Gawande of Harvard Medical School.

In discussing checklists, Linda Groah noted that one of the challenges to implementing the requirement can be the noise and bustle of the operating room. To make sure the checklist is most effective as a communication tool, some hospitals have it enlarged to poster form and attach it to a wall. The enhanced size and display makes it more visible, and this in turn makes it easier for the surgical team to follow it.

Source: "6 Steps to Prevent Wrong-Site Surgery," ASC Review, 7-15-11