Adam Blomberg, MD, the national education director for Sunrise, Fla.-based Sheridan Healthcare's anesthesiology division, reminds anesthesiologists of their critical duty to ensure patient safety above anything else.
Question: How important do you think the anesthesiologist's role is concerning patient safety?
Dr. Adam Blomberg: Patient safety has always been essential.. We are the patient's eyes, ears, heart and lungs — we represent them in the operating room.
Q: Do you believe the focus on efficiency as the top goal over the last several years has been at the expense of patient safety and why do you think physicians need to "slow down while speeding up?"
AB: I don't think it's at the patient's expense….yet. I think patients are benefiting from increased efficiency. Patients are not waiting until later in the evening [for surgeries], and more cases are done in prime time. Efficiency is not only about the hospital, the anesthesiologist and the surgeon, it's also to help the patients.
From a financial standpoint, efficiency is extremely beneficial, as operating room time is extremely expensive, costing about $80 per minute. If a surgeon knows he's going to be late, schedule later, let the patient come in later.
Now everybody is talking efficiency, efficiency, efficiency, but we still need to slow down and remember patients and that patient safety is important. We have to be efficient and we have to move fast, but at the same time we have to slow down. We still need to do the anesthesia and surgical timeouts. I want people to remember to slow down, take a deep breath and still think of the patient first.
Q: Expand on the importance of anesthesia timeouts. You do a pre-op timeout prior to anesthesia, so that the physician and staff can make sure they're all on the same page about the procedure, as well as Sheridan's standard anesthesia timeout and surgical timeout.
AB: The anesthesia time-out with identification of the patient and verification of the procedure is performed prior to the start of a procedure.
The anesthesia time-out is between the anesthesia care team member and the circulating nurse. At this time, we ensure that we have the correct patient, correct side, correct equipment in the OR and any necessary vendor is available prior to induction.
Prior to incision, there is a surgical timeout with the surgeon.
Q: What are some "back-to-basics" reminders?
AB: Production is only getting more rampant, everybody wants the metrics. Years ago, you took care of your patient, you got there on time and you did as quick a turnover as you could. But now, it's being measured and posted for everyone to see. We are goal-oriented people and we are being compared to our peers. But, you still have to remember that it is still about the patient. We want to be efficient and still be safe.