David J Rosinski, CCP
Objective: Demonstrate the role perfusionists have within the open heart surgical team, the hospital they support and the patients they manage on cardiopulmonary bypass. Incorporating evidence based perfusion practice will be described as cultural change whereby the individual perfusionist functions as patient advocate, program advocate and advocate of the profession.
To effect change is not easy. What is easy; is to take the path of least resistance and simply maintain the status quo. The sea change of evidence based medicine will not allow perfusion to remain complacent, in fact as a profession, we should embrace it. The ramifications are enormous, and will have implications for ourselves, family and friends that may require open heart surgery. If we would “do it right” for ourselves and family, should we not “do it right” for everyone? To put this into perspective, Sir Muir Gray wrote an article published in Surgical Clinics of North America “Knowledge Management: A Core Skill for Surgeons Who Manage. In his article he writes “The yawning gap between what we know and what we do has major implications for patients and populations. By putting into practice what we know at present, we will have a bigger impact on the health of individuals and populations than any drug or new technology likely to be discovered in the new decade will have.”
To effect such change will require a flattening of the traditional hierarchy currently present in surgical practice. Today, junior members of health care teams or non-physicians are often not supported and in fact may be un-welcomed as they identify problems from within. Therefore, proactive involvement, professional endeavors, and acquisition of data and knowledge will assist in the promotion of non-punitive introspection, problem solving and enhanced patient care. This presentation will put forth the cultural changes required for successful implementation of evidence based perfusion practice.
