Patient Safety Framework for Mitigating Wrong Level Spine Surgery

Overview: Patient Safety Framework for Mitigating Wrong-Level Spine Surgery

In an effort to proactively address emerging risks associated with changes in healthcare delivery, the Academic Medical Center Patient Safety Organization (AMC PSO) convened the Wrong-level Spine Surgery Safety Task Force to arrive at a set of consensus-supported guidelines for patient safety considerations for spinal surgery.

As technology advances and care evolves, opportunities exist to align and standardize practice to reflect this evolution.

The Task Force began with a review of the latest scientific evidence, guidance, and opinion statements from relevant professional societies, as well as input from frontline providers in Neurosurgical and Orthopedic Spine Surgery. Further insights were gathered from convening AMC PSO member subject matter experts across various surgical specialties, hospital operations, Anesthesiology, Nursing, Radiology, Risk Management, and Patient Safety.

What follows is a document that represents the aim, mission, and consensus opinion of the Task Force. It offers guidance for clinicians in their efforts to provide the safest possible care to patients.

TASK FORCE

STATEMENT

The recommendations for Patient Safety Framework for Mitigating Wrong-level Spine Surgery were developed under the auspices of the Academic Medical Center Patient Safety Organization (AMC PSO) Spine Surgery Safety Task Force. These consensus recommendations are for informational purposes only and should not be construed or relied upon as a standard of care. The AMC PSO recommends institutions review these guidelines and accept, modify or reject these recommendations based on their own resources and patient populations. Additionally, institutions should continue to review and modify these recommendations as the field continues to evolve.