The Patient Safety Authority’s program to prevent wrong-site surgery began in December 2007. The program focused on implementing evidence-based best practices and tools at participating healthcare facilities.
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Since the prevention program began, wrong-site surgeries in Pennsylvania have decreased by 37 percent from an average of 19 reports per quarter to an average of 12 reports per quarter. Adjusting for the increase in procedure volume over the past several years, the decline is more pronounced. The rate of wrong-site surgery has dropped by 40 percent, from 2.4 per 100,000 procedures (2007-2008) to 1.4 per 100,000 procedures (2010-2011).
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