You may have heard the horror story of someone waking up from surgery to find that the surgeon amputated the wrong leg. Thankfully, nothing like that has ever happened here at Cincinnati Children’s, and we put procedures in place to make sure that it never does.
In the Radiology department, we use our “4-Please” process at the beginning of every exam we perform to catch any errors with your child’s order. Sorry, we are not ordering four hamburgers or milkshakes for you. Instead, we are checking four vital pieces of information before we start.
What we Check:
Why We Check:
To make sure we have the correct patient!
There may be more than one Johnny in the waiting room, and we want to be sure to image the correct Johnny.
We also verify that your child’s name and birthday are listed correctly in the medical record.
To make sure we are doing the correct exam!
We check to make sure we are imaging the body part that is causing your child’s symptoms.
Our technologists also are checking to make sure that the test ordered by your doctor is the best test for the symptoms your child is experiencing.
What Happens if We Find an Error:
If there are any mistakes with the name/birthday, the technologist will notify registration to have them make the necessary corrections.
If there is an error in the order, the technologist will notify the radiologist and ordering physician to obtain a correct order.
Becky has been an MRI Tech at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for almost 15 years. She grew up on the west side of Cincinnati and studied Radiology at UC. She lived in Southern Maryland and Virginia Beach while her husband served in the US Navy and came back to the area just as the Liberty Campus was opening. She loves being in such a great team and working with kids. She enjoys spending time with her children and 2 beautiful granddaughters.
Glenn Miñano is a media specialist in the Department of Radiology, providing graphic design, photography, printing, video services, and administration of the department’s online properties. His works have been published in several medical articles, such as the American Journal of Radiology and the American Institute of Ultrasound. He has been providing these services to the Radiology Department since 1996.
Meredith Towbin is a freelance copy editor and writer. She has copyedited the Department of Radiology’s blog since it launched. She also works as a copy editor for the home improvement website BobVila.com. Her writing has been featured on HuffPost as well as other writing sites.
