Checklists Help During Patient Transport

February 17, 2012

AARC is releasing two patient safety checklists to help minimize the likelihood of medical errors relating to the patient’s oxygenation status during intra-hospital transport.

These checklists (1 for neonates/newborns, the other for pediatric/adult patients) are available free to AARC members. They reside online in the Resources section of the AARC website and were published in the February issue of AARC Times.

“The more frequently patients are transferred from point A to point B, and the longer they are away from their bed space, there is a significant likelihood of an adverse event,” says Charles G. Durbin, Jr. MD, FAARC, FCCM, and member of the AARC Committee that formulated the checklists. “The most likely source of errors takes place with the patient’s oxygenation status.”

The AARC Committee that worked on the checklists conducted a systematic review of the literature and found an increased propensity for medical errors during intra-hospital transport situation.

“We are following through on a commitment to provide respiratory therapists with tools to help them better care for patients,” said Doug Laher, AARC Associate Executive Director. “These checklists will help serve as a a safeguard to prevent innocent errors that take place when clinicians rely on their memory to ensure the safety of their patients.”

The development of these checklists was supported through an educational grant by the Masimo Corporation.