Preventing items from being left inside patients during surgery
Retained Foreign Object Reduction and Mitigation (ReFORM)
This project will develop better counting methods, tools, and teamwork to stop surgical items from being left inside patients during operations.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Medical University of South Carolina NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charleston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11162288 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, researchers are building a Patient Safety Learning Lab to understand why surgical items get lost and to find practical fixes. They will map the counting process, run lab experiments that simulate operating-room pressures and distractions, and try different ways of grouping and tracking instruments and sponges (including new technologies). The team will also study how teamwork and hospital learning after an event affect safety and will work with hospitals to pilot improved counting procedures.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants would be patients scheduled for surgeries at participating hospitals and the surgical teams who perform those operations.
Not a fit: Patients receiving non-surgical care or having surgery at hospitals not involved in the project would not directly benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lower the number of patients harmed by items accidentally left inside them during surgery.
How similar studies have performed: Previous reliance on manual counts and some technologies has reduced incidents in places but has not solved the problem, and this comprehensive systems-engineering approach aims to address gaps that prior efforts left open.
Where this research is happening
Charleston, United States
- Medical University of South Carolina — Charleston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Catchpole, Ken — Medical University of South Carolina
- Study coordinator: Catchpole, Ken
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.