Recognizing Safety in Spine Surgery Month

As critical safety issues face health care professionals and patients, thought leaders use annual safety in spine surgery month to promote best practices and ensure the well-being of all.

By Firoz Miyanji, MD, FRCSC

April is Safety in Spine Surgery month, and the Safety in Spine Surgery Summit — held this past weekend on April 15 — is a critical to promote a culture of safe surgery for our patients across the globe.

The summit offers a unique opportunity to bring together all stakeholders involved in treating patients with spine conditions — physicians, allied health care workers, researchers, hospital administration, and health care policy makers — to learn from one another and establish best practices for the future.

A Personal & Professional Commitment to Safety

My investment of time and my dedication to elevating Safety in Spine Surgery Month to the forefront of awareness is personal and professional.

I have a commitment to my patients and their families, first and foremost, to minimize all potential risks associated with the management of their spine condition. We all strive to optimize outcomes for our patients by sharing our knowledge and ideas fundamentally to improve the health and well-being of our patients, and educating my peers in this arena is something that I have been passionate about.

I also feel that health care delivery will see a significant change in the coming years among health care systems around the world, with performance metrics closely tied to quality, safety and value of care. These initiatives impact all stakeholders in health care, and I think having a solid understanding as a surgeon will provide me the necessary tools to help navigate and direct delivery of spine care.

Learn & Grow Among Your Peers

The area of quality and safety has shown an explosion of activity and will continue to evolve with new processes, care pathways, and best-practice guidelines in development; as such, attending future summits is the best way to learn and keep abreast in this exciting area.

With the summit focusing on a key topic that is relevant to multiple stakeholders in health care and not simply surgeons, this will further help us ensure that our patients are receiving the best care and outcomes possible.

The Scoliosis Research Society also created a Quality & Safety Library filled with resources to find key information on important topics such as infection prevention, implant related complications, perioperative planning, and medical management. The content is split into pediatric and adult teams, and includes such tools as checklists, guidelines, key publications, videos, and webinars.

I'm proud of my work with the SRS Safety and Value Committee members and our dedication to safety in spinal surgery.