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Oct 27, 2006 10:01 pm US/Central
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Preventing Hospital Errors, New Training Technique
by Darcy Pohland
(WCCO)
When you go to the hospital you expect the best care possible, but sometimes human error can risk the health or life of a patient.
That's why one local hospital is using a one-of-a-kind training technique to keep patients safe.
Emergency medical problems call for hospital workers to perform at their best under enormous stress and pressure. It's also at those times when disastrous medical mistakes can happen.
That's why Fairview Southdale Hospital is practicing by doing a mock emergency room drill.
It's a new way to teach medical staff, in their own hospital, how to prevent errors before they happen to a real patient.
The simulations are based on medical situations which really happened.
They're designed to intentionally stress and distract the team.
In one drill, a mother in labor is having an emergency caesarian section and the doctor orders blood for both baby and mother.
However, the nurse orders only blood for the baby from the lab -- blood for mom never came.
"A delay in blood could've been anything from the mother has more complications to even death," said Fairview Hospital Dr. Stan Davis.
"The biggest revelation to me is that we do have a lot of communication breakdowns," said Davis.
The University of Minnesota brought in pilots to help crate the emergency simulation which incorporates the same techniques they use to train flight crews.
"Crew resource management which was developed in aviation is specifically intended for looking at how to improve communication skills," said U of M School of Public Health Associate Professor Bill Riley.
After participating in the training, the staff immediately watches their performance on tape.
"It has caused them to have insight ... and see something they never saw before," said Fairview Southdale critical nurse Kristi Miller.
And in the end it's the patients who benefit most.
"The team is going to be better prepared for you," said Davis.
"To me we have patients that are safer," said Miller.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)