Surgical Safety Checklist
Often, the simplest ideas are the most effective when it comes to patient safety. In the last several years, the World Health Organization has recommended that hospitals use a Surgical Safety Checklist before any surgical procedure is carried out. In Ontario, new regulations are in effect to ensure that hospitals with operating rooms are using the Canadian Patient Safety Institute’s checklist before every surgical procedure, to prevent errors and reduce post-operative infections.
The one-page document details a range of checks that the whole surgical team discusses before anesthesia is administered, such as:
- Anesthesia equipment safety check
- Patient information confirmed – identity (two identifiers); consent(s); site and procedure; site, side and level marked; clinical documentation; history, physical, labs, biopsy and X-rays
- Review final test results
- Allergies and medications review
- Administration of antibiotic prophylaxis
- Monitoring – pulse oximetry, ECG, blood pressure, arterial line, temperature and urine catheter
- Blood loss
- Surgeon review – specific patient concerns, critical steps, and special instruments or implants
- Anesthesiologist review – specific patient concerns and critical resuscitation plans
- Nurses’ review - specific patient concerns, sterility indicator results and equipment/implant issues
- Patient positioning and support
- Expected procedure time, post-operative destination
“This checklist is a formalized process to ensure team collaboration before, during and after surgery so that patient safety and optimal care is provided,” says Patty Welychka, Director of the NHS Surgical Program. “We do over 40,000 surgical procedures a year, and we are 100% compliant on reviewing the checklist each time. Starting this July, it will be publicly reported, and our track record will be compared to other hospitals across the province by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.”
