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Out-of-hours operating - failure to close the audit cycle

Menon, K.V., Bates, Tom (1997) Out-of-hours operating - failure to close the audit cycle. Journal of Clinical Effectiveness, 2 (3). pp. 83-85. ISSN 1361-5874. (doi:10.1108/eb020869) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:66826)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
https://doi.org/10.1108/eb020869

Abstract

A prospective study of all out-of-hours operations performed in a district general hospital was undertaken over two periods. During the first period (1 month) facilities for emergency operating were reviewed and it was concluded that out-of-hours operating should be reduced and several tactics to improve the situation were agreed. A re-audit was undertaken, over 4 months (second period) and results of the two periods compared. Orthopaedic cases performed out-of-hours in both periods of study were 38% vs 40%. Mean theatre delay for general surgical cases in both periods was 5 h 30 min vs 5 h 21 min and theatre usage after midnight during weekdays showed no significant difference (23% vs 28%). 50% of operations performed after midnight in both periods could possibly have been avoided. The attempt to reduce out-of-hours operating failed because there was no protocol. In order to reduce inappropriate operating after midnight, a dedicated daytime emergency theatre is necessary in addition to an increase in the number of daytime orthopaedic trauma lists. Failure to close the audit cycle loop suggests that a more determined effort is required to reduce unsupervised emergency surgery and unnecessary sleep deprivation.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1108/eb020869
Additional information: Unmapped bibliographic data: M3 - Article [Field not mapped to EPrints] DB - Scopus [Field not mapped to EPrints]
Divisions: Divisions > Directorate of Education > School of Education
Depositing User: Bates Tom
Date Deposited: 15 Jan 2019 13:15 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:25 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/66826 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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