Safety in Health Care: The Impact of Operating Room Design.

The science of operating room design has grown over the past 20 years due to the realization that the physical environment influences health care provider performance and patient outcomes. Medical errors occur when the normal workflow in an operating room is disrupted as providers must overcome sub-optimal conditions. All aspects of the physical environment can impact operating room flow. Studying the layout, contents, ergonomics, and environmental parameters of the operating can lead improved work conditions resulting improved patient and provider safety. At the forefront of operating room design science is the use of simulation and the evaluation of new technologies.

Positive or Negative? Implementation Processes and Pitfalls of Preoperative SARS-CoV-2 Testing at a Single Academic Institution.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative screening and testing for SARS-CoV-2 are important aspects of reopening perioperative and procedural sites to elective cases after the initial wave of the novel coronavirus pandemic. However, given that modern healthcare has never experienced a pandemic of this magnitude, rapid operationalization of mass testing presents unique challenges. We aim to highlight our experiences and challenges for preoperative SARS-CoV-2 testing. METHODS: We describe implementation of widespread screening tools and preoperative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing in a single, academic medical center. RESULTS: As of August 2020, we have been able to achieve an over 90% success rate in preoperative SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing for both outpatient and inpatient procedures. However, there are certain challenges in obtaining high levels of compliance both on individual and institutional levels. CONCLUSIONS: Instituting preoperative SARS-CoV-2 testing and maintaining high levels of compliance is possible in the midst of a fluctuating pandemic.