Effect of Quality Control Circle Activities on Reducing the Failure Rate of Surgical Instrument Pre-Treatment

Yandan Wang,1 Xiulan Zhou,2 Yanqiu Zhu,1 Yuanmei Dan,1 Zeping Huang,1 Ling Xiang1 1Department of Sterile Processing Nursing, Sichuan Friendship Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Nursing, Sichuan Friendship Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of ChinaCor...

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Main Authors: Wang Y, Zhou X, Zhu Y, Dan Y, Huang Z, Xiang L
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Dove Medical Press 2025-06-01
Series:Risk Management and Healthcare Policy
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Online Access:https://www.dovepress.com/effect-of-quality-control-circle-activities-on-reducing-the-failure-ra-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-RMHP
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Summary:Yandan Wang,1 Xiulan Zhou,2 Yanqiu Zhu,1 Yuanmei Dan,1 Zeping Huang,1 Ling Xiang1 1Department of Sterile Processing Nursing, Sichuan Friendship Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Nursing, Sichuan Friendship Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yandan Wang, Department of Sterile Processing Nursing, Sichuan Friendship Hospital, 96 Shangshahepu Street, Jinjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610066, People’s Republic of China, Email 382902284@qq.comBackground: The quality of surgical instrument cleaning can affect patient safety. Pre-treatment is a key step in cleaning. This study investigated the effect of quality control circle (QCC) activities on reducing the failure rate of surgical instrument pre-treatment.Methods: A QCC with a topic of reducing the failure rate of surgical instrument pre-treatment was established within the central sterile supply department of our hospital in January 2023. The failure rates of surgical instrument pre-treatment before and after the QCC activities were compared after problem investigation, target setting, critical factor analysis, root cause validation, and development and implementation of countermeasures.Results: The failure rate of surgical instrument pre-treatment decreased significantly from 2.9% (46/1568) to 1.1% (11/989) after the implementation of QCC activities, with a statistically significant difference (χ2 = 2157, P < 0.001).Conclusion: QCC activities provide a structured approach to analyzing the root causes of failures in surgical instrument pre-treatment and develop countermeasures, thereby improving the quality of instrument cleaning and ensuring patient safety. QCC activities could also improve team cohesion and develop staff’s problem-solving skills.Keywords: quality control, surgical instruments, problem solving, factor analysis, statistical
ISSN:1179-1594