The data trends outlined in this update demonstrate the most common types of wrong-site events reported from Pennsylvania facilities that provide surgical services. Sharing this, and data collected internally, with surgical staff and surgeons may help to identify potential areas for process improvement. Please reference the Authority's Preventing Wrong-Site Surgery toolkit at for patient safety tools (e.g., Self-Assessment Checklists, Observational Monitoring Tools, Principles for Reliable Performance of Correct-Site Surgery) developed to assist facilities prevent wrong-site surgery and patient harm. The Authority also has a consultation program for Pennsylvania facilities that wish to evaluate their opportunities to improve wrong-site surgery prevention processes, particularly following a wrong-site event or near miss in a surgical suite. Those interested in this program should contact the Authority office or their regional patient safety liaison (PSL). The Authority's PSLs can help facilities assess their policies and procedures and arrange for onsite observations to evaluate surgical team compliance using the resources developed by the Authority.
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