Risk management in outpatient surgery.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety
• Surgical Procedures

Background:

• Outpatient surgery is a national healthcare priority, aiming for over 70% of procedures by 2022.
• Ambulatory hospitalization is becoming the standard of care, introducing new patient journey risks.
• Despite reassuring data, risks associated with outpatient surgery remain poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the risks inherent in the outpatient surgery model.
• To emphasize the need for a comprehensive risk management strategy.
• To underscore the importance of multidisciplinary team and patient coordination.

Main Methods:

• Review of current healthcare policies and standards for outpatient surgery.
• Analysis of potential risks across the patient journey (organizational, medical, anesthetic, surgical, medico-legal).
• Emphasis on risk management principles (a priori and a posteriori) for quality improvement.

Main Results:

• Outpatient surgery presents multifaceted risks including organizational, medical, anesthetic, surgical, and medico-legal challenges.
• Effective risk management requires formalizing multiple stages of the patient journey.
• Coordination among surgical, anesthetic, nursing, administrative staff, and patient companions is vital.

Conclusions:

• A robust risk management approach is essential for continuous quality improvement and patient safety in ambulatory surgery.
• Minimizing risks and preventing complications depend on the coordinated efforts of the entire healthcare team.
• Active patient participation is a key component in ensuring safety during the outpatient surgical process.