Communication between ASC's and practices

Communication Between Surgical Practices and Surgery Centers.

Effective communication between surgical practices and surgery centers is essential for patient outcomes.

Below, we are going to discuss methods used and potential improvements.

Surgery Centers and Surgical Practices

A?surgery center?is a facility dedicated to short-stay surgeries and differs from a hospital, which usually provides a broader range of procedures and services. Surgery centers are typically privately owned by physicians, are generally?specialized, and can often offer high-quality care at a more?affordable?cost than hospitals; often 45-60% less expensive.

A surgical practice consists of the?surgical team?and staff involved in the various stages of surgery. This typically includes:

• Surgeon/Surgeons
• Anesthesiologist
• Certified registered nurse anesthetist
• Operating room nurse
• Surgical tech
• Residents or medical students
• Physician Assistant

?Communication In Surgical Settings

What is indisputable is the importance of teamwork and communication throughout all stages of surgery and among its involved personnel. Studies have shown that?communication failures cause up to 80% of adverse events in the operating room.?Poor outcome examples?include:

• Delays of surgery
• Incorrect surgery performed
• Specimens being mislabelled
• Appropriate equipment not being available
• Procedures performed on the wrong site

Briefings and Debriefings

Surgical centers and surgery teams must have a structured system that promotes effective communication and teamwork. One method that facilitates both of these is briefings.

A?briefing?is a discussion among all team members and aims to get everyone on the same page. Proper briefings promote a sense of teamwork and clear the way for effective communication. When conducted properly, it allows team members to speak up and voice concerns.?

When briefings establish an open dialogue, it is more likely to be maintained throughout the process. They have been?proven?to reduce the number of interruptions during procedures, which directly impacts patient safety.

Conversely,?debriefings?are conducted after the procedure and allow team members to plan patient recovery and identify issues. These are of great benefit as they provide learning opportunities and contribute to a successful recovery from surgery.?

The Surgical Checklist

The surgical checklist is the following method that promotes effective communication and uses briefings and debriefings. The list?incorporates?communication and process items into one place to make sure all necessary information is communicated among team members. It also ensures all safety steps in a given procedure are followed carefully.

Surgical checklists typically have three essential?checkpoints?for review. They are:

• Before anesthesia is administered or before the patient enters the operating room
• Before incision of the skin/beginning of the procedure
• Before the patient exits the room

To ensure the patient's safety and verify that all steps are followed,?checklists?are used by the entire team and are read aloud from a hard copy, not memorized.

Potential Improvement

The use of?advanced healthcare communication software?between surgical practices and surgery centers could vastly improve systems traditionally used by healthcare facilities. An improved method could overcome barriers often seen with antiquated software such as:

• High price and setup fees
• Limited participation and collaboration
• Old-school functionality and coding requirements

It enables surgical teams to communicate and coordinate more freely and effectively, directly impacting patient outcomes.?

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