BHA FPX 4010 Assessment 1 Research Problem and Purpose Statements BHA-FPX4010 Introduction to Health Care Research ​​​​​​​Introduction Part 1: Research Problem and Purpose Statements

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Background and Evidence

The chosen research focus within hospital-acquired conditions (HAC) is the occurrence of foreign objects remaining in the body post-surgery. Despite stringent safety protocols in operating rooms, errors persist, affecting the successful completion of surgeries. Pyrek (2017) notes an estimated twenty-eight million surgeries are performed annually in the United States, with four to six thousand cases reported for retained surgical equipment. Despite medical advancements, retained surgical items (RSIs) pose a persistent challenge (Fencl, 2016).

The Joint Commission (TJC) defines unintended retention of foreign objects (URFOs), or RSIs, as the inadvertent leaving of surgical instruments inside a patient post-surgery (Fenner, 2019). This can lead to infections or death, causing physical and emotional harm to patients, categorized by TJC as sentinel events (Fenner, 2019). In response, TJC introduced the Universal Protocol in 2004 to mitigate such incidents, though its effectiveness remains debated (Kim et al., 2015). Despite efforts, errors persist, leading to questions regarding hospital credibility and patient safety (Liber, 2018).

However, these incidents can serve as opportunities for hospitals to enhance safety practices and reassure patients of continual improvement (Birolini, Rasslan & Utiyama, 2016).

Part 2: Problem Statement

Annually, thousands of surgeries in the United States report incidents of retained surgical equipment post-surgery, indicating a significant problem affecting patient outcomes. The problem statement highlights the recurring issue of surgical objects remaining within patients’ bodies, supported by literature and numerical data.

Part 3: Purpose Statement

To mitigate occurrences of retained surgical items, surgical departments should adopt the Five Steps to Safer Surgery from the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA). This study aims to implement effective safety measures to reduce surgical instrument retention and subsequent harm to patients. The purpose statement aligns with the study’s focus on safety measures, supported by relevant literature.

References

Birolini, D. V., Rasslan, S., & Utiyama, E. M. (2016). Unintentionally retained foreign bodies after surgical procedures. Analysis of 4547 cases. SciELO Analytics, 43(1), 12–17. https://doi.org/10.1590/0100-69912016001004

Fencl, J. L. (2016). Guideline Implementation: Prevention of Retained Surgical Items. AORN Journal, 104(1), 37–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aorn.2016.05.005