There has been an uptrend in healthcare facilities borrowing surgical instruments from other providers. The main drivers behind this trend are lack of inventory, challenging scheduling and lack of OR space or storage space. However, borrowing surgical instruments also poses some key challenges, including planning and communication between providers, insufficient reprocessing time and additional work for the borrower facility.
In order to address these challenges and the patient safety risks that stem from them, the author suggests creating a policy that includes the following:
• Ordering, transportation, check-in and pre-procedural processing requirements.
• Documentation and tracking throughout the loan period.
• If necessary, methods for charging.
• Post-procedural processing.
• Check-out and return process to the owner.
Various organizations, including the American Society of Healthcare Central Service Professionals, the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management, AORN and AAMI, provide guidelines and recommended practices for loaner surgical instruments.
Read the article about borrowing surgical equipment.
Read other coverage about surgical instrument safety:
– Top 10 Patient Safety Issues for 2011
– Researchers Outline Processes Affecting Surgical Instrument Readiness
