Anesthesia Workspaces for Safe Medication Practices: Design Guidelines.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Design
• Patient Safety
• Anesthesiology

Background:

• Anesthesia workspaces are frequently interrupted, hindering critical medication tasks.
• Poor workspace ergonomics, clutter, and limited space impact patient safety and surgical efficiency.
• Optimizing anesthesia workspace design is crucial for safe and efficient medication practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop evidence-based design guidelines for anesthesia workspaces.
• To enhance the safety of anesthesia medication tasks in operating rooms (ORs).

Main Methods:

• Literature review, observation, and video analysis of over 30 surgical procedures.
• Identification of challenges faced by anesthesia providers during medication tasks.
• Validation of developed guidelines through a short survey.

Main Results:

• Seven evidence-based design guidelines were established.
• Guidelines focus on task visibility, dedicated anesthesia zones, workspace flexibility, clutter reduction, adequate surfaces, and optimized lighting.
• Specific recommendations include locating tasks in primary vision and minimizing staff traffic in the anesthesia zone.

Conclusions:

• Significant opportunities exist to improve OR design for anesthesia workspaces.
• Enhancements require collaboration among the entire surgical team.
• Improved workspace design contributes to safer medication administration and overall care delivery.