The authors present results of a quality improvement initiative. A whiteboard illustrated with right and left eyes with views of the extraocular muscles was developed, the board also contained spaces for the patient’s name, deviation, versions and the procedure name. The terminology resect and recess were avoided and replaced by strengthen and weaken, with myectomy and transposition also included. Prior to the procedure the target muscles were marked with the appropriate label. The board was completed prior to the time out procedure which included all members of the surgical team. The authors conducted surveys before and six months after the implementation of the new timeout procedure, with 15 responses analysed in this paper. The responses reported increased understanding of which eye, which muscle and the procedure to be performed. Benefits were also reported when staff came back to or came into a procedure in progress. An increase in the number that felt they would be able to identify errors being made was reported. All surgeons who completed the pre and post surveys also reported these increases. The authors acknowledge the limitations of the study, in the limited sample size. The authors highlight that the addition of the whiteboard illustrations improved communication. Further research tracking numbers of wrong-site surgery is required post-implementation.
Whiteboard illustrations added to pre-surgery timeout procedure
Reviewed by Lauren Hepworth
Strabismus surgical time-out: an illustrated whiteboard modification.
CONTRIBUTOR
Lauren R Hepworth
University of Liverpool; Honorary Stroke Specialist Clinical Orthoptist, Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust; St Helen’s and Knowsley NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
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