Government of Saskatchewan ministries, Crown corporations and organizations are working to minimize the impacts of the postal service disruption.
Les ministères, les sociétés d’État et les organismes du gouvernement de la Saskatchewan travaillent à réduire au minimum les répercussions de l’interruption des services postaux.
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Released on June 22, 2010
Saskatchewan is making surgical care safer for patients. Health regions are working toward universal implementation of surgical safety checklists in hospital operating rooms across the province by the end of 2010-11.
Health Minister Don McMorris said this commitment is another way to ensure the health care system puts patients first.
"Health and safety risks are usually very low for Saskatchewan's surgical patients, and surgical care providers already do routine checks to minimize risks," McMorris said. "However, we know those risks can be reduced even further through consistent use of practices that are proven to increase patient safety. The checklist should be used by every surgeon, for every patient, every time."
With support from the World Health Organization, hospitals around the world have successfully demonstrated that using a surgical checklist significantly lowers the risk of surgical errors.
The surgical safety checklist is used before, during and after surgical procedures. Surgical team members verbally confirm information such as the patient's identity, the procedure being performed, surgical equipment required, and potential complications arising from the patient's health history or condition. Following surgery, they confirm instrument counts and review any equipment issues or unexpected issues encountered during the surgery.
Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region (RQHR) was one of the first health organizations in Canada to adopt the surgical safety checklist. It was first used in 2009 in gynecology and has since been adopted by other surgical specialties in the Region.
Surgical staff in the region have come to recognize that this simple tool has not only improved patient safety but also resulted in a positive improvement in teamwork in the operating rooms.
"We have been surprised by the number of good catches found by using the checklist even though we were already watching for many of the items on the list," RQHR Senior Medical Officer Dr. Joy Dobson said. "This tool is a perfect example of how we can improve patient outcomes and staff satisfaction. This is one more way we are continuously trying to do better. We know our patients depend on it."
A number of specialties are already using the surgical safety checklist. By the end of 2010-11, the checklist will be standard procedure in all hospital operating rooms in Saskatchewan.
The Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative supports a variety of projects that promote patient safety, including programs to prevent medication errors and reduce surgical site infections. The Surgical Initiative's goal is to transform the surgical experience for patients, and reduce all surgical waits to a maximum of three months by 2014. Details are available at www.health.gov.sk.ca/saskatchewan-surgical-initiative.
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For more information, contact:
Karen Hill
Health
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4083
Mark Torjusen
Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region
Regina
Phone: 306-766-5332
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