Text Box: Dear EP Managers & Staff, My apologies for the lengthy hiatus between newsletters. No, we did not disappear! We’ve been busy improving our Catheter Recycling program and Catheter Relocation services to improve our customers’ earnings, as well as expanding our website’s free EP Education section. Come and see what we have improved for you. This newsletter issue looks at a common problem: How to improve your lab’s preparation and performance by creating and using a pre-procedure checklist and a procedural supply list. We even have samples and downloadable templates for you. These are excellent tools for orienting new staff as well. Due to our increasing work demands, future newsletter issues will need to be on a “can do” basis as well. You are welcome to send us articles you have written for publication. Have a good spring and we hope to see you at HRS in Boston under the east end of the catwalk (Booth #262). Respectfully, Steve Miller, RN & the EPreward Staff Pre-Procedure Checklists Improve Procedure Safety & Success Before an airplane takes off, every responsible pilot uses a written checklist to carefully inspect the airplane and assure that every component is ready for a safe flight. In an electrophysiology procedure, especially a complex ablation, where dozens of specific steps are important if not critical, shouldn’t you have the same concern for your patient’s safety? If you reflect on past errors during a case, you’ll recall they create a distraction and negative atmosphere that decreases the focus, confidence and performance of your physician as well as staff — let alone the potential harm that may come to the patient. If you were on the table, wouldn’t you want someone to make sure everything was “just right” before a tube was poked into your heart? Who needs a Pre-Procedure & Supply Checklist? Labs that do relatively few procedures Labs that do complex procedures infrequently Labs that have new, inexperienced or per-diem Staff Labs that have multiple Physicians who use different supplies & setups Labs that have a history of missing even one step each day Due to the wide variety of practices and equipment used at different facilities, compliments of fellow staff, we are several examples of pre-procedure check lists for you to examine. We have also attached Microsoft Word documents that you can easily customize to fit your Lab’s needs and routine, or you can create your own from scratch. Some facilities even have a separate supply checklist or “recipe” for each procedure and each Physician to clarify what is needed for every case. Pre-procedure checklists are also an excellent teaching tool for new staff during orientation. The sheer numbers of wires, tubes, connections, etc. can jumble the mind of even an experienced nurse or tech. These will decrease the time it takes new staff to minimize errors and perform independently. Creating the Checklist – A Team Approach When designing a checklist a team approach works best, as each pair of eyes sees things differently and will catch items overlooked by others. Techs, Nurses, Managers and Physicians will all have valuable input from their own perspective. Saying this, you don’t want one that is five pages long and includes every minute detail. Make it fit onto one page so that it takes less than two minutes to accomplish (the check, not the tasks themselves). Otherwise it will be abandoned as too time-intensive. It can either be an informal checklist or parts of it can be incorporated into your procedural flow sheet, MD orders, etc. Construct your list in a logical manner and it will be easy for all the team members to assimilate and perform automatically. Revision & Implementation Your checklist will not be a permanent form so don’t print 1000 copies; initially, just print a couple. In the beginning it should be corrected every case as you quickly discover items that were omitted, unnecessary or not correctly sequenced. Afterwards, make periodic refinements as new techniques and equipment are incorporated into your department. Does it work? My experience is that 95% of the time when something goes wrong in a procedure, it was on the checklist that nobody used. Who performs the actual check? That can vary with your preferences and what is most functional for your setting. In most EP Labs it is the Circulator who is responsible for the room and the check. However, there are three logical areas which could involve the Circulator, Monitor person, and Scrub person each checking their own areas. A charge person can also have a role in checking the room as part of time out verification. Experiment to see what is efficient as well as complete. Create > Implement > Succeed Use a team approach to create a checklist that systematically addresses all of the important components of each procedure. This will help to assure a smooth and confident start and successful outcome for each of your patients. If you have any questions, comments, or you do not wish to receive future emails simply reply and tell us. Thank you for your time. Text Box:

EPreward

Serving the Heart of Cardiology

www.epreward.com                                                          877-663-8686                                                                     Newsletter Vol. 5

April & May Webcasts & Conferences

 

April 15- Austin, TX; April 15- Bristol, England; April 16- Philadelphia, PA; April 18: Milwaukee, WI; April 18- Washington , DC; April 19-21, ECAS Paris, France; April 22, Webcast; April 24: Dublin, Ireland; April 27- Silver Springs , MD; April 29- Cheshire, England; April 29- Bethesda, MD.

 

May 12-16 in Boston, MA

A complete list of HRS satellite events

 

May 9- Lancaster, PA; May 13-16- HRS Boston, MA; May 15-17- CEPHIA Melbourne, Australia.  May 30- Jacksonville, FL.

 

See details on our  Conference Calendar page.

 

 

 

EP/Ablation

Pre-Procedure

Checklist

Sample

& Template

#1

 

 

EP/Ablation

Equipment “Recipe”

Sample

& Template

#1

 

 

 

EP/Ablation

Equipment

“Recipe”

Sample

& Template

#2

 

 

 

EP/Ablation

Pre-Procedure

Checklist

Sample #2

 

Does your platinum recovery company...

 

Document every single catheter?

 

Give you a printed price list?

 

Hold your catheters for your review and

return them if you are not satisfied?

 

 EPreward takes all of these steps

to assure your trust. 

 

We recently received the results from samples sent to two east coast platinum tip companies, and our payment was 50% and 55% higher.  Call us to receive comparison information for the company you use. 

 

Contact us or call 877-663-8686.

 

 

Implant

Equipment

“Recipe”

Sample

& Template

#1 & #2

Sell your once-used diagnostic EP

& Ultrasound catheters

 

If your department does not reprocess…

 

Earn 2 to 10 times the platinum value

of your diagnostic EP catheters

 

Contact us for more information or call 877-663-8686.

Do You Have

Expired / Unused Inventory or

Need Additional Equipment?

 

Contact EPreward to purchase the items you are no longer using.  For Sale:

EP Workmate System (New Item)

Stockert 70 Ablator $8,900

ATAKR Ablator $1,750

See full inventory of EP Catheters

 

Or call for details: 561-375-8034

 

 

 

Checklist & “Recipe” Samples and Templates