TY - JOUR PY - 2022// TI - Making a move: Using simulation to identify latent safety threats prior to the care of injured patients in a new physical space JO - Journal of trauma and acute care surgery A1 - Kotagal, Meera A1 - Falcone, Richard A. Jr A1 - Daugherty, Margot A1 - Merkt, Brant A1 - Klein, Gina L. A1 - McDonough, Shawn A1 - Boyd, Stephanie D. A1 - Geis, Gary L. A1 - Kerrey, Benjamin T. SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - BACKGROUND: In today's rapidly changing health care environment, hospitals are expanding into newly built spaces. Preserving patient safety by identifying latent safety threats (LSTs) in advance of opening a new physical space is key to continued excellent care. At our level 1 pediatric trauma center, the hospital undertook a 5-year project to build a critical care tower, including a new emergency department with five trauma bays. To allow for identification and mitigation of LSTs before opening, we performed simulation-based clinical systems testing.

METHODS: Eight simulation scenarios were developed, based on actual patient presentations, incorporating a variety of injury patterns. Scenarios included workflow and movement from the helipad and squad entrance as well as to radiology, the operating room, and the pediatric intensive care unit. A multiple resuscitation scenario was also designed to test the use of all five bays simultaneously. Multidisciplinary high-fidelity simulations were conducted in the new tower. Key trauma and emergency department stakeholders facilitated all sessions, using a structured framework for systems integration debriefing framework and failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) to identify and prioritize LSTs, respectively.

RESULTS: Eight sessions were conducted over two months. 201 staff participated, including trauma surgeons, respiratory therapists, nurses, emergency physicians, x-ray technicians, pharmacists, emergency medical services, and OR staff. In total, 118 LSTs (average of 14.8/session) were identified. LSTs were categorized. An action plan for mitigation was developed after applying FMEA prioritization scores (based on severity, probability, and ease of detection).

CONCLUSIONS: Systems-focused trauma simulations identified a large number of LSTs before the opening of a new critical care building. Identification of LSTs is feasible and facilitates mitigation before actual patient care begins, improving patient safety. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, Care Management.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 2163-0755 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/TA.0000000000003865 ID - ref1 ER -