Keeping our patients and staff safe in the operating room
At Tufts Medical Center, we do everything in our power to prevent surgical complications. To that end, we have an active multidisciplinary Surgical Quality and Safety Committee, which is dedicated to keeping both patients and staff safe in the operating room. A large part of this commitment involves our Ticket to Safety, a process that ensures that the right patient always receives the right surgical procedure at the right site.
You will be asked multiple times before your surgery for your name, date of birth, what procedure you are having, and where on your body you are being operated. Upon your arrival at Tufts Medical Center, you’ll be asked these questions again and an identification bracelet will be placed on your wrist. In the pre-operative area, we will compare your answers to the information on your medical chart to confirm that your surgical team knows what procedure you are having. We’ll ask you these same questions once you enter the operating room. Before we begin your procedure, the entire surgical team confirms with each other your name, date of birth, medical record number and type and location of surgery they are about to perform.
What patients can do
You can help prevent surgical complications by making sure that your surgical team asks multiple times for your name, date of birth and type and location of procedure. We also suggest that you bring to the hospital an up-to-date list of all medications that you take, including over-the-counter products and dietary supplements. Learn more about how to prepare for your surgery here.