Some essential requirements that should be checked before and after any medical procedures.

Are you sure that's the right patient?

Identification band with Bar Code

Use at least two of these methods to identify your patient when provide care, treatment, or services.

• Patient's name
• An assigned identification number.
• Patient's birth date.
• Patient's phone number.
• Bar coding that includes two or more patient's specific identifiers.
• Do not use the patient's room number as proof of identification.

Hand off with care

Hand Off

Hand off your patient to the next care giver with accurate and relevant information about the patients care, treatment and services.

Tips for conducting an effective hand off :

• Include up to date patient information.
• Use "read back" or "repeat back" techniques.
• Limit or minimize interruptions.
• Use clear language which he/she can understand.
• Allow time for questions and answers.

TIME OUT  (For eliminating surgical mistakes)

Are you operating on the Right patient? Right site? Right procedure?

Verify the correct person, site and procedure.

• At admission
• At the time of surgery procedures is scheduled.
• Any time a patient is transferred from one care giver to another.
• While the patient is awake.
• Before the patient leaves pre-operative area.

Review the following :

• Documentation such as patient history and consent.
• Relevant test result or x-rays.
• Required implants and special equipment.

Surgical Site Marking

Always mark the Operative site, be sure to :

• Make the mark at or near the incision site.
• Use the word "YES" or your initials instead of an X be consistent.
• Involve the patient in the site marking.

Conduct a " Time out " with the surgical team or operative. Check for :

• Correct patient.
• Correct side and site.
• Agreement on the procedure to be done.
• Documentation of the time out.