New Tool from the Joint Commission to Improve Surgical Consultations

The Joint Commission’s TST aims for even greater consistency. “There should be one way to mark a site, not seven different ways to mark a site,” said Dickerson. While the TST does not make requirements, the Universal Protocol outlines times when a site mark is appropriate. What the TST does is help an organization measure whether or not a mark is being applied as expected, including the type of mark and its proximity to the incision site, as well as whether team members reference the site mark during the time out.

By inputting their own data, health care providers can identify areas of weakness and implement custom-designed solutions to reduce these risks. “What this project does,” Dickerson added, “is pull the covers back to really see what’s going on in their surgical processes.”