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FOCUS: the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists' initiative to improve quality and safety in the cardiovascular operating room.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Barbeito, A; Lau, WT; Weitzel, N; Abernathy, JH; Wahr, J; Mark, JB
Published in: Anesth Analg
October 2014

The Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists (SCA) introduced the FOCUS initiative (Flawless Operative Cardiovascular Unified Systems) in 2005 in response to the need for a rigorous scientific approach to improve quality and safety in the cardiovascular operating room (CVOR). The goal of the project, which is supported by the SCA Foundation, is to identify hazards and develop evidence-based protocols to improve cardiac surgery safety. A hazard is anything that has the potential to cause a preventable adverse event. Specifically, the strategic plan of FOCUS includes 3 goals: (1) identifying hazards in the CVOR, (2) prioritizing hazards and developing risk-reduction interventions, and (3) disseminating these interventions. Collectively, the FOCUS initiative, through the work of several groups composed of members from different disciplines such as clinical medicine, human factors engineering, industrial psychology, and organizational sociology, has identified and documented significant hazards occurring daily in our CVORs. Some examples of frequent occurrences that contribute to reduce the safety and quality of care provided to cardiac surgery patients include deficiencies in teamwork, poor OR design, incompatible technologies, and failure to adhere to best practices. Several projects are currently under way that are aimed at better understanding these hazards and developing interventions to mitigate them. The SCA, through the FOCUS initiative, has begun this journey of science-driven improvement in quality and safety. There is a long and arduous road ahead, but one we need to continue to travel.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Anesth Analg

DOI

EISSN

1526-7598

Publication Date

October 2014

Volume

119

Issue

4

Start / End Page

777 / 783

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Societies, Medical
  • Quality of Health Care
  • Physicians
  • Patient Safety
  • Operating Rooms
  • Humans
  • Cardiac Surgical Procedures
  • Anesthesiology
  • Anesthesiology
  • 3202 Clinical sciences
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Barbeito, A., Lau, W. T., Weitzel, N., Abernathy, J. H., Wahr, J., & Mark, J. B. (2014). FOCUS: the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists' initiative to improve quality and safety in the cardiovascular operating room. Anesth Analg, 119(4), 777–783. https://doi.org/10.1213/ANE.0000000000000359
Barbeito, Atilio, William Travis Lau, Nathaen Weitzel, James H. Abernathy, Joyce Wahr, and Jonathan B. Mark. “FOCUS: the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists' initiative to improve quality and safety in the cardiovascular operating room.Anesth Analg 119, no. 4 (October 2014): 777–83. https://doi.org/10.1213/ANE.0000000000000359.
Barbeito A, Lau WT, Weitzel N, Abernathy JH, Wahr J, Mark JB. FOCUS: the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists' initiative to improve quality and safety in the cardiovascular operating room. Anesth Analg. 2014 Oct;119(4):777–83.
Barbeito, Atilio, et al. “FOCUS: the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists' initiative to improve quality and safety in the cardiovascular operating room.Anesth Analg, vol. 119, no. 4, Oct. 2014, pp. 777–83. Pubmed, doi:10.1213/ANE.0000000000000359.
Barbeito A, Lau WT, Weitzel N, Abernathy JH, Wahr J, Mark JB. FOCUS: the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists' initiative to improve quality and safety in the cardiovascular operating room. Anesth Analg. 2014 Oct;119(4):777–783.

Published In

Anesth Analg

DOI

EISSN

1526-7598

Publication Date

October 2014

Volume

119

Issue

4

Start / End Page

777 / 783

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Societies, Medical
  • Quality of Health Care
  • Physicians
  • Patient Safety
  • Operating Rooms
  • Humans
  • Cardiac Surgical Procedures
  • Anesthesiology
  • Anesthesiology
  • 3202 Clinical sciences