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ful on the patient, such as monitored anesthesia care or IV sedation.
One way to reduce the inconvenience of same-day cancellations is a
pre-surgical testing program that identifies factors that can increase
the risk for complications, says David Taylor, MSN, RN, CNOR, of
Methodist Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. We asked our panelists
when they typically disqualify a patient. Most (42.6%) do so during a
telephone screening, but nearly one-third (31.7%) do so on the day of
surgery and about one-fourth (25.7%) do so during pre-testing.
It's a tough balancing act, pleasing surgeons and protecting patients.
"Surgeons don't want to be inconvenienced by cancelled cases," says
Ms. Mingus. "We don't want to dissatisfy patients, either. Even when a
patient slips through the cracks and makes it all the way to the day of
surgery, we still err on the side of caution." Indeed, you never regret
the case you canceled. OSM
E-mail doconnor@outpatientsurgery.net.
"There's a line. You can say, 'This guy's
probably going to be okay, this guy's not.'"
— anesthesiologist Sean Daley, MD
