Whole-Systems Approach to Patient Safety: Can We Do More?

Consensus survey on pre-procedural safety practices in radiological examinations: a multicenter study in seven Asian regions

OBJECTIVE

To understand the status of pre-procedural safety practices in radiological examinations at radiology residency training institutions in various Asian regions.

METHODS

A questionnaire based on the Joint Commission International Accreditation Standards was electronically sent to 3 institutions each in 10 geographical regions across 9 Asian countries. Questions addressing 45 practices were divided into 3 categories. A five-tier scale with numerical scores was used to evaluate safety practices in each institution. Responses obtained from three institutions in the United States were used to validate the execution rate of each surveyed safety practice.

RESULTS

The institutional response rate was 70.0% (7 Asian regions, 21 institutions). 44 practices (all those surveyed except for the application of wrist tags for identifying patients with fall risks) were validated using the US participants. Overall, the Asian participants reached a consensus on 89% of the safety practices. Comparatively, most Asian participants did not routinely perform three pre-procedural practices in the examination appropriateness topic.

CONCLUSION

Based on the responses from 21 participating Asian institutions, most routinely perform standard practices during radiological examinations except when it comes to examination appropriateness. This study can provide direction for safety policymakers scrutinizing and improving regional standards of care.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE

This is the first multicenter survey study to elucidate pre-procedural safety practices in radiological examinations in seven Asian regions.