Improving Healthcare Workers' Adherence to Surgical Safety Checklist

The Impact of a Short Training

Bibliographic Data

ID22077333
AuthorsDavide Ferorelli (0000-0001-8150-7476, University of Bari Aldo Moro), Marcello Benevento (0000-0002-4895-0182, University of Bari Aldo Moro, corresponding author), Luigi Vimercati (0000-0002-4072-2871, University of Bari Aldo Moro), Lorenzo Spagnolo (0000-0002-8124-9443, University of Bari Aldo Moro), Luigi De Maria (0000-0002-0553-5309, University of Bari Aldo Moro), Antonio Caputi (0000-0001-8872-6786, University of Bari Aldo Moro), Fiorenza Zotti (University of Bari Aldo Moro), Gabriele Mandarelli (0000-0003-4887-5108, University of Bari Aldo Moro), Alessandro Dell’Erba (0000-0003-3767-014X, University of Bari Aldo Moro), Alessandro Dell'Erba, Biagio Solarino (0000-0003-3096-8998, University of Bari Aldo Moro)
Year2022
Volume9
Pages732707-732707
Publication date2022-02-08
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpubh.2021.732707
PMID35211450
OpenAlexW4210927400
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited28

BACKGROUND: Although surgery is essential in healthcare, a significant number of patients suffer unfair harm while undergoing surgery. Many of these originate from failures in non-technical aspects, especially communication among operators. A surgical safety checklist is a simple tool that helps to reduce surgical adverse events, but even if it is fast to fill out, its compilation is often neglected by the healthcare workers because of unprepared cultural background. The present study aims to value the efficacy of a free intervention, such as a short training about risk management and safety checklist, to improve checklist adherence. METHODS: In March 2019, the medical and nursing staff of the General Surgical Unit attended a two-lesson theoretical training concerning surgical safety and risk management tools such as the surgical safety checklist. The authors compared the completeness of the surgical checklists after and before the training, considering the same period (2 months) for both groups. RESULT: The surgical safety checklists were present in 198 cases (70.97%) before the intervention and 231 cases (96.25%) after that. After the training, the compilation adherence increased for every different type of healthcare worker of the unit (surgeons, nurses, anesthetists, and scrab nurses). Furthermore, a longer hospitalization was associated with a higher surgical checklist adherence by the operators. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that a free and simple intervention, such as a two-lesson training, significantly stimulated the correct use of the surgical safety checklist. Moreover, the checklist adherence increased even for the operators who did not attend the training, maybe because of the positive influence of the colleagues' positive behaviors. As the results were promising with only two theoretical lessons, much more can be done to build a new safety culture in healthcare

Checklist · Harm · Health care · Medical emergency · Patient safety · Clinical Reasoning and Diagnostic Skills · Medicine · Nursing · Patient Safety and Medication Errors · Psychology · Simulation-Based Education in Healthcare

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