17. The time-out procedure
Author: WDMH Roos
The following text is a summary of the corresponding chapter, in:
the 'Patient Safety Toolbox' publication.
References in the text are clickable, and connect with a pdf-file to be found here
Summary
Just before starting the surgery, when everyone is ready, the operating room (OR) team conducts a final check with a standardized questionnaire (open questions) to ensure that the right surgery is performed on the right patient on the proper eye. A check that all the required materials are present (implant lens, donor cornea, etc.) and that the patient’s health is not in danger by the planned surgery, was added as part of the procedure. All the questions are considered during this so called ‘time-out procedure’, which takes less than a minute. The time-out procedure aug-
ments regular checkpoints while the operation is being prepared. This ensures that all checkpoints are summarized once again and checked with the entire team just before surgery will start.
The introduction of a safety system can only succeed with the full support of the management and medical staff. Its important to have complete involvement of employees and specialists by the introduction and implementation of the procedure . The system should be simple and easy to keep up to date. Explaining its necessity and communicating the results are also extremely important. The Time-out procedure appeals through its simplicity: it takes only one minute, it is easy to explain and it has results that are immediately demonstrable.
