Checklists Again.

If one wanted hard evidence that checklists are effective, read this piece in the New York Times about pharma companies using symptom checklists which allow potential patients to confirm their diagnosis which in turn may lead to the prescription of a drug made by that pharma company. Wonderful! Or maybe not?

More on Checklists

Paul Levy writes in his oustanding blog about checklists, making the very relevant point that the checklist per se is not a panacea; it is one ingredient in a very complex system that contributes to safety.

Checklists

Since the study published two years ago in the New England Journal of Medicine by Gawande, which showed the value of checklists in reducing surgical morbidity and mortality in a variety of care settings, developed and developing world, there has been increasing interest in the benefits of checklists in improving patient safety. However the Gawande study has been criticized on a number of fronts, with many people doubting the benefits. The cardinal message of that study was that each of us, no matter how brilliant, will make mistakes. The purpose of the checklist is to reduce the risk of each team member making a mistake. Importantly, two major studies have just been published, which support Gawande's contention that the use of checklists are associated with improved outcomes. De Vries et al writing in the NEJM report a dramatic reduction in mortality and complications.

Neily et al writing in JAMA last month report similarly impressive results. It would appear that the jury is in; the use of checklists as part of a comprehensive approach to reducing surgical complications appears to be proven. Let the checklist reign.