Related Experiment Videos
'Take Ten' improving the surgical post-take ward round: a quality improvement project
Danielle Alice Banfield1, Carly Adamson1, Amy Tomsett1
1Department of Surgery, Royal United Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Bath, UK.
BMJ Open Quality
|March 13, 2018
Summary
A new checklist improved documentation and understanding during surgical post-take ward rounds. This enhanced patient safety by ensuring key management details were clearly communicated and recorded.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Patient Safety
- Surgical Care
Background:
- Surgical post-take ward rounds are complex, fast-paced events.
- Poor communication and documentation can negatively impact patient safety.
- Junior team members often lack a clear understanding of patient diagnosis and management plans.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance communication and documentation during surgical post-take ward rounds.
- To positively influence patient safety through improved clinical processes.
Main Methods:
- A 'Take Ten' checklist was developed, focusing on ten critical documentation points.
- Four Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles were implemented over one year.
- Retrospective documentation review and weekend comparisons were conducted pre- and post-intervention.
Main Results:
- Post-intervention documentation improved in several key areas, including VTE assessment, fluids, observations, and investigations.
- The checklist significantly improved documentation across most categories when directly compared.
- Junior staff reported enhanced understanding of diagnosis and management plans.
Conclusions:
- The 'Take Ten' checklist was well-received and adopted into routine practice.
- Multidisciplinary engagement was crucial for the checklist's successful integration.
- The checklist has become an integral part of the surgical post-take ward round process.