Publication details
Surgical ward round quality and its impact on patients.
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2014 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Aim To determine quality failures of surgical ward round and its impacts on patients clinical outcome. Introduction The term ward round was first used in 1660 by Franciscus Sylvius in in Leyden (Holland)1. Surgical ward rounds are complex clinical processes during which the clinical care of hospital inpatients is reviewed2, and providing the chance to the surgical team to review patient’s health condition, and then providing a plan of care. Failures in care can have a direct consequence on patient safety.3 One of the most important aims of ward rounds is discharge planning, and due to neglected and not organized ward round, patient can be delayed in hospital, causing further complications such as nosocomial infections, blocking beds, prolonging surgical waiting lists, etc. Ward rounds are part of the daily routine of both nurses and doctors, being and important scenario for teaching and training students or inter-professional education. That´s why it is important to let students or junior doctors to conduct ward rounds. Although, many patients complaint for lack of privacy (team size planning previously). However, it is very important to facilitate full engagement of the patient and/or carers in making shared decisions about care. Surgical ward rounds are complex tasks requiring not only medical knowledge but also communication skills, clinical technical skills, patient management skills and team-work skills 4. Unfortunately, in most health care facilities, ward rounds are not done in a proper way, due to lack of time, excess of work, and other causes. In order to optimise the ward-round process, saving time, they must be planned before starting, carried out in an organised and disciplined way, with appropriate timing (avoiding clashes with other activities), preparation, scheduling and review, improves patient safety and experience, while promoting efficient use of time and resources. All patient records, laboratory and paraclinical results, request cards and continuation sheets should be made available to the team at a central point, eg a bedside trolley. The use of check-list will reduce omissions and variations in practice. |