B-ENT

ENT One Day Surgery: critical analysis with the HFMEA method

1.

Hasselt University, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Diepenbeek, Belgium

2.

Ziekenhuis Maas & Kempen, Maaseik, Belgium

3.

Ziekenhuis Oost Limburg, Genk, Belgium

4.

The Netherlands Institute for Accreditation in Healthcare, Utrecht, The Netherlands

5.

Department of ENT-HN. Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Schiepse Bos 6, 3600 Genk

6.

Centre for Health Services and Nursing Research, KULeuven, Leuven, Belgium

B-ENT 2013; 9: 193-200
Read: 957 Downloads: 803 Published: 12 February 2020

ENT One Day Surgery: critical analysis with the HFMEA method. Objectives: Research shows that 51.4% of adverse events in hospitals occur in surgery1 and that 3-22% of surgical patients experience adverse events.² The risk may be even higher when turnover is high and when patients are children, as is often the case in ear, nose and throat surgery. This quality project therefore started in response to requests from physicians in two hospitals in the Flemish part of Belgium. The aim of this study is to use the Healthcare Failure Mode & Effect Analysis method to evaluate the process flow for ear, nose and throat patients, and to redesign the process to enhance patient safety.

Methodology: In two One Day Clinics, processes were prospectively analysed using the Healthcare Failure Mode & Effect Analysis method.

Results: Similar potential failures were reported in both hospitals. The major failure mode was linked to the absence of an active identity check throughout the process. The process was therefore redesigned by implementing a surgical safety checklist and an active identity check protocol. Although the Healthcare Failure Mode & Effect Analysis is a timeconsuming method, this systematic approach by a multidisciplinary team has been found to be useful in detecting failure modes that need immediate safety responses. The involvement of all disciplines and an open safety culture during the procedure were the most important conditions.

Conclusions: The Healthcare Failure Mode & Effect Analysis is a useful instrument for detecting the failure modes in this care process.

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EISSN 2684-4907