Surgical Teams Perform Better, Patients Feel Safer When Given Safety Checklists

Both patient and physician engagement with a safety checklist prior to an operation may reduce complications and adverse event rates, according to a pilot study that will be presented at the American Society of Anesthesiologists-Practice Management 2014 meeting.

Researchers observed the healthcare provider compliance rate to the World Health Organization's Surgical Safety Checklist.

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They found physician compliance to the SSC increased when patients were given a copy of the checklist. For example, in the patient group informed about the checklist, physicians reviewed allergy history in 95 percent of the patients compared to 69 percent of the control group. Surgical site was confirmed in 74 percent of the informed group, while it was only confirmed in 54 percent of the control group. Surgical instrument count was formally reviewed for 87 percent of the informed patient group but only for 19 percent of the control group.

Additionally, all patients reported feeling more comfortable going into their surgeries after going over the SSC.

Researchers suggest patient involvement helps create a culture of safety.

More Articles on Patient Safety:

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