New Findings from Harvard University School of Medicine Update Understanding of Computer-Assisted Tomography (Impact of Preprocedure Time-out Checklist for Computed Tomography-Guided Procedures on Workflow and Patient Safety)

Insurance Daily News

2020 JAN 22 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Researchers detail new data in Computers - Computer-Assisted Tomography. According to news reporting from Boston, Massachusetts, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “The objective of this study was to assess the impact of preprocedural time-out on workflow and patient safety in computed tomography (CT)-guided procedures. In this institutional review board-approved, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant study, preprocedure time-out was assessed by an independent observer in CT-guided procedures performed from January 16, 2018, to May 15, 2018.”

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from the Harvard University School of Medicine, “Anonymous survey of 302 radiology team members involved in image-guided procedures about preprocedure time-out was performed using REDCap. Preprocedure time-out for 100 CT-guided procedures (biopsies, drainages, ablations) was observed. Procedures were recruited per observer availability and thus were nonconsecutive and nonrandom. Preprocedure time-out was performed in 100 procedures (100%). Median duration was 60 seconds (interquartile range, 60-71 seconds). Scripted checklist was followed in 52 cases (52/100, 52%). Omissions from the preprocedure time-out were identified in 40 cases (40/100, 40%) and were much more frequent when scripted checklist was not used (30/48 [63%] vs 10/52 [19%], P< 0.005). One case (1/100, 1%) was postponed due to abnormal coagulation parameters discovered during the time-out. Three cases (3/100, 3%) were delayed by 3 minutes to address other safety issues. In additional 14 cases (14/100, 14%), safety issues were raised during the time-out, which were resolved in less than 30 seconds. A total of 137 (45%) of 302 survey responses from 54 radiologists (39%), 55 technologists (40%), and 28 nurses (20%) were received. Forty-eight respondents (48/137, 35%) encountered a procedure that was cancelled or delayed as a result of information identified during time-out. Ninety-six percent (131/137) of respondents stated that time-out improves teamwork, 98% (134/137) stated that it enhances communication between the team members, and 93% (127/137) stated that it identifies and resolves problems and ambiguities.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Scripted preprocedure time-out for CT-guided procedures takes approximately 1 minute to execute and detects safety issues in 18% of cases.”

For more information on this research see: Impact of Preprocedure Time-out Checklist for Computed Tomography-Guided Procedures on Workflow and Patient Safety. Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography, 2019;43(6):1. Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography can be contacted at: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Two Commerce Sq, 2001 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA. (Lippincott Williams and Wilkins - www.lww.com; Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography - http://journals.lww.com/jcat/pages/default.aspx)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting O.R. Brook, Harvard University School of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Dept. of Radiology, 330 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215, United States. Additional authors for this research include S. Dommaraju, B. Siewert, B. O’Bryan, S. Swedeen, E. Appel, M. Nakhaei and A. Camacho.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1097/rct.0000000000000940. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.