Power failures affecting hospitals are a patient safety hazard, particularly in the technology-rich environment of the operating room and procedural areas. We recently published an article in the February 2016 APSF Newsletter regarding how to manage power outages in the operating room.¹ The incidence of hospital power outages in the United States and their impact on patient care has not been studied systematically. As a follow-up to that article and to better understand the scope of this problem, my colleagues and I are asking anesthesiologists, anesthesia residents, and CRNAs in the United States to complete an 8-question, anonymous survey that should take less than 5 minutes. Please fill out date and location information to the best of your recollection. Data will be reported in aggregate form with no identifying information about survey participants or hospitals. You can access the survey by the following URL link: https://goo.gl/ngn1bx or by clicking or scanning the QR code below:

Thank you, in advance, for your participation!

Grete H. Porteous, MD, Department of Anesthesiology, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA.

Dr. Porteous has no financial conflicts of interest to disclose.

Reference

1. Holland EL, Hoaglan CD, Carlstead MA, Beecher RP, Porteous GH. How do I prepare for OR power failure? APSF Newsletter 2016;30:57-62. https://www.apsf.org/newsletters/html/2016/February/ltr03-QA_ORPowerFailure.htm – last accessed December 4, 2016.