Use of Checklists Found to Reduce Surgical Errors

The increasing use of checklists to reduce mistakes during surgery has not always been welcome. There has been criticism that the checklists are oversimplified techniques that have a minimal effect on surgical safety.

However, a new study finds that the use of checklists in operating rooms does help reduce surgical errors.

The results of the study were published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine. The researchers analyzed the performance of 17 operating room teams in a simulated surgical situation.

They found that errors involving failure to follow lifesaving care processes were less frequent when surgical checklists were used. The researchers found that when these checklists were used, teams missed approximately 6 percent of steps, compared with 23 missed steps when the checklists were not used at all.

An overwhelming majority, or 97 percent, of the participants in the study admitted after the study that they would prefer to use the checklist during a crisis in the operating theater.

This clearly indicates to Seattle medical malpractice lawyers that the use of checklists in surgical rooms greatly reduces the risk of errors. The beauty about checklists is that this is a very simple technique that can be used in a highly complex and stressful environment, where even the smallest mistakes can cause the death of the patient.

Other research has also pointed to the benefits of surgical checklists and proven them to be very effective in reducing the risk of surgical errors. In December, a study published in the Journal of American College of Surgeons found that the use of checklists reduced the risk of common surgical errors.

The Seattle medical malpractice lawyers at Morrow Kidman Tinker Macey-Cushman, PLLC represent victims of medical negligence by doctors, nurses, technicians and other medical personnel across Seattle.