Question

Mr. Reynolds, a 75-year-old man, recently suffered from a wrong-site surgery. His left ankle was operated upon rather than his right ankle. The team conducting the RCA of the wrong-site surgery realizes that one contributing factor was the pressure on surgical teams to start and end surgeries on time (so as not to disrupt later scheduled procedures). Which of Vincent's seven categories of factors influencing clinical practice does this best illustrate?

(A) Patient characteristics
(B) Team factors
(C) Individual team member
(D) Organizational and management factors

Answer 1

The pressure on surgical teams to start and end surgeries on time, even if it means rushing or overlooking important steps, is an organizational and management factor that can contribute to medical errors.

Step-by-step explanation:

This scenario best illustrates the category of Organizational and management factors in Vincent's seven categories of factors influencing clinical practice.

The pressure on surgical teams to start and end surgeries on time, even if it means rushing or overlooking important steps, is an organizational and management factor that can contribute to medical errors. In this case, the wrong-site surgery occurred due to the time pressure placed on the surgical team.

Other examples of organizational and management factors include resource allocation, workflow processes, and communication systems within healthcare organizations.