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.
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man. GB Shaw
Showing posts with label complications. Show all posts
Showing posts with label complications. Show all posts
Saturday, November 13, 2010
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.
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