RI hospitals adopt same surgical protocol to help traveling docs, reduce potential errors
By Kelsey Abbruzzese, APTuesday, June 30, 2009
RI hospitals to announce new surgical protocol
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Surgeons in Rhode Island will start following the same procedures before surgeries, no matter which hospital they are working in.
The Hospital Association of Rhode Island says the 14 hospitals in the state voluntarily agreed to adopt the same routine for surgical procedures. Hospital officials are announcing details of the new plan Tuesday afternoon.
The new protocol includes having two licensed providers mark the operation site, requiring surgeons to mark the site with their initials and using a checklist before surgeries.
The goal is to help doctors who work at multiple hospitals and reduce the potential for surgical errors.
The new protocol will begin Wednesday.
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