Using continuous improvement to obtain and document informed consent.
This article describes a continuous improvement team's activities to improve the process of obtaining and documenting informed consent and to decrease the incidence of communication errors during the surgical scheduling process. Integrating surgeons' informed consent process at their office sites with hospital records was the key to success.
VanPatten
B A
BA
Blodgett Memorial Medical Center, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.
D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D006746:Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over; D006753:Hospital Records / Q000592:standards*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008332:Management Quality Circles; D008498:Medical Record Linkage; D008824:Michigan; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care; D012985:Software Design; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration*