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

Background: 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 (χ = 2157, < 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.