WHO tackles problem of surgical safety
MINNEAPOLIS, June 17, 2008—The World Health Organization (WHO) World Alliance for Patient Safety is undertaking a major new mission, “Safe Surgery Saves Lives.”
MAPS a leader in surgical safety movement The Minnesota Alliance for Patient Safety (MAPS) is a partnership established by the MMA, the Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Hospital Association, in addition to over 50 stakeholder groups. MAPS is a leader worldwide win promoting patient safety in surgery and and the prevention of "never" events. Its Adverse Health Care Events Reporting System requires all Minnesota hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and community behavioral health hospitals to report whenever one of 28 "never events" occurs. |
In January, 2008, some 120 surgery professionals (surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, clinical engineers, and associations addressing patient safety) met in Geneva to review the initial draft of a tool designed to improve the safety of surgical care. The tool is designed to be used in operating rooms worldwide and its systematic use has the potential to drastically decrease the incidence of complications.
What is this miraculous tool? A simple, one-page checklist which calls for three specific times (prior to induction of anesthesia, prior to skin incision, and prior to the patient’s departure from the operating theatre) when the team can identify the patient, review the procedure to be conducted, check that all necessary equipment is available and in working order, discuss possible adverse conditions, prepare for possible blood loss, etc.
How big is the problem?
Each year, more than 230 million surgeries are performed worldwide, more than double the number of childbirths.
Surgical complications are estimated to result in one million patient deaths, and another 7 million disabilities yearly. More than half of these complications
are preventable by following established safety practices.
Sadly, many of the complications occurring in developing countries result from surgery care following road trauma to young adults who are the primary family wage earners.
Lena Dohlman, M.D., chair of Health Volunteers Overseas' (HVO’s) anesthesia division, attended the conference and was convinced that the “Safe Surgery Saves Lives” program is an important step in setting standards for surgical care throughout the world.
The checklist is a work in progress that is designed with the understanding that it can be modified to address needs in different settings. By establishing these standards, WHO may encourage government health ministries to advocate for improved equipment, training and safe practices in health care facilities.
Healthcare Volunteers Overseas to endorse the plan
WHO plans to launch the campaign from Washington, DC this June. HVO intends to provide its endorsement. HVO members can play a significant role, both in the US and abroad, by discussing and incorporating the goals of the campaign:
(1) raise awareness that improvement in surgical safety is essential to public health,
(2) back the concept of a WHO safe surgery checklist as a tool for teams everywhere to better ensure that patients receive the correct
operation at the correct site with safe anesthesia, known infection-prevention measures, and effective teamwork for safe care, and
(3) support the establishment of “surgical vital statistics” asking countries to track surgical volume and in-hospital surgical death rates.
Safe surgery can have a dramatic impact on patient outcomes and it can all start with something as/ basic as a checklist.
For more information, check the WHO website at: www.who.int/patientsafety/challenge/safe.surgery