Preoperative Patient Preparation Audit: Completed Loop Cycle

Introduction Nurses usually check patients scheduled for surgery while the patients are still in the ward. A lack of complete preoperative patient preparation can cause delayed care and disastrous outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess the number of patients en route to surgery who had been fully preoperatively prepared and evaluate any change in that number once a proforma was introduced as part of the preparation protocol. Methods We conducted a two-part audit of preoperative preparedness to assess factors such as up-to-date blood work, group and save, cross-match, and surgical site marking, among others. We then devised a proforma to be signed and checked by the ward doctor (e.g., intern or senior house officer). We compared the number of patients marked completely ready for surgery in the six weeks prior to use of the proforma with the number of patients marked completely ready for surgery for six weeks after implementation of the proforma. Results The study included the preoperative audit of 35 patients prior to the use of the proforma and 30 patients after the implementation of the proforma. Use of the proforma improved preoperative patient preparation by 50% compared to the level of preparedness when no proforma was used. Conclusion Health care facilities may benefit from a similar proforma for supplementing standardized, widely accepted preoperative protocols as an additional safety measure.