Pre-procedures: make a list and check it twice

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Effective patient transfer protocols are crucial for maintaining continuity of care.
• Pre-procedure checklists are essential for minimizing risks during patient movement between units.
• The telemetry unit and cardiovascular laboratory have distinct pre-transfer requirements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the process of updating a pre-procedure checklist for patient transfers.
• To enhance the safety and efficiency of moving patients from telemetry to the cardiovascular laboratory.
• To share best practices in checklist development for inter-unit patient transport.

Main Methods:

• A review of the existing pre-procedure checklist was conducted.
• Stakeholder feedback from nursing and laboratory staff was incorporated.
• The checklist was revised to include critical safety checks and logistical details.

Main Results:

• The updated checklist standardized the transfer process.
• Key elements were added to ensure patient readiness for the cardiovascular laboratory.
• Improved communication and reduced delays were observed post-implementation.

Conclusions:

• Checklist revision is a valuable tool for optimizing patient transfers.
• Standardized pre-procedure protocols enhance patient safety in cardiovascular settings.
• Continuous quality improvement of transfer checklists is recommended.