Interventional Radiology (IR) is a rapidly evolving field of medicine encompassing a variety of procedures. Every day in IR is different from the one before and the one to follow. There are procedures performed daily and others that may occur once or twice a year. Each procedure has its own unique protocol, and this clinical variation can create a large margin for error putting patient outcomes at risk. Studies have shown that variability in the delivery of health care can potentiate error, but standardization can decrease this unnecessary variation and reduce potential harm.

The World Health Organization as well as accrediting bodies such as The Joint Commission support the use of standardized clinical practice guidelines, and they are recognizable in existing processes such as Universal Protocol and critical care pathways. In this presentation, the presenter will discuss the benefits of standardization, identify what to protocol in IR, how the information is delivered, and who should be a part of the decision-making team.

At the conclusion of this program, the learner will be able to describe a step-by-step approach to implementing standardized practice in IR and understand the importance and advantages of standardization in Interventional Radiology.