Surgical Fire Safety: An Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Improvement Project

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Patient Safety
• Surgical Risk Management

Background:

• Surgical fires pose a significant risk to patient safety.
• Effective communication and risk assessment are crucial for preventing surgical fires.
• Current practices for fire risk assessment may be inconsistent among surgical team members.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance surgical team members' knowledge and awareness of surgical fire risks.
• To increase the utilization of fire risk assessment tools during surgical safety communication.
• To improve overall surgical fire prevention strategies through education and tool implementation.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement project was conducted at a metropolitan ambulatory surgical center.
• An educational intervention was developed based on evidence and a preintervention knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) survey.
• Knowledge, practice, and intent were assessed using pretests, posttests, and follow-up assessments.

Main Results:

• The educational intervention led to improved staff knowledge regarding surgical fire risks.
• Practitioners demonstrated increased use of fire risk assessment tools post-intervention.
• The study indicated a positive impact on the adoption of fire prevention strategies.

Conclusions:

• Brief educational interventions are effective in improving surgical staff's understanding and application of fire risk assessment.
• Enhanced knowledge and tool utilization contribute to better surgical fire risk management.
• Quality improvement initiatives can successfully bolster patient safety in surgical settings.