What type of quality control/quality assurance measures are practiced in your cath lab?
We run daily controls on our Avox (Avox Systems, Inc., Fair Oaks Ranch, TX) and I-Stat machines (Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL), which we utilize for blood specimens. We have yearly skills check-offs on equipment such as IABPs, rotablator, IVUS, etc. Our nurses and technologists are required to take yearly written cognitive exams regarding moderate sedation, IABPs and catheterization lab emergency protocols. Our staff performs monthly audits on epidemiology, time-out verification and two-patient identifier. Several committees manage quality control and quality assurance: The Clinical Practice Committee is comprised of direct care clinicians and administrative personnel who discuss established and emerging clinical topics that affect patient care. The Standards and Measures Committee reviews the Press Ganey Scores obtained from patient surveys and discusses ways to help improve hospital survey outcomes. The AMI (Acute Myocardial Infarction) Committee is a house-wide committee to
