Toolkit to Improve Patient Safety in Ambulatory Surgery Centers

Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) can use the toolkit to apply the principles and methods of AHRQ’s Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) to prevent surgical site infections (SSI) and other complications and improve safety culture in their facilities. The toolkit is based on the experiences of 665 ASCs that participated in the AHRQ Safety Program for Ambulatory Surgery project.

The toolkit is organized into three main sections that ASCs can use to teach team members how to apply CUSP principles to prevent surgical site infections and other complications. Each section contains guides, tools, slide sets, and videos to support implementation. All materials are publicly available and downloadable online. Many can be modified to best meet local facility needs and criteria.

For more information, visit the AHRQ website.