The number of surgical malpractice incidents in Minnesota hospitals has been steadily on the rise, in part due to doctors not taking the time to step back and be sure that they are doing the correct procedure on the right patient.
In fact, according to a recent report from the state health department, there have been 150 surgical errors in Minnesota hospitals since 2003. Of those 150, 97 were operations performed on the wrong body part, and 9 of them were performed on the wrong patient.
To combat these alarming numbers, Minnesota has implanted what’s known as the Time Out for Safety Towel program. It’s a relatively simple concept, but the state hopes it will have a substantial role in reducing surgical errors.
The plan is to place a towel with the statement “Time Out” in big, bold letters over the surgical instruments, with the idea being that surgeons will heed those words and double check what surgery they are scheduled to perform, and on whom.
It seems like a rudimentary approach, but sometimes even the largest problems can be solved by the most basic of means. It will be interesting to see if this program is successful.
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