Key result
The WHO Surgical Safety Checklist promotes effective teamwork, communication, and patient safety when used as intended, rather than merely as a routine activity.
The editorial discusses the importance of true implementation fidelity of the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist beyond mere adherence to improve patient safety and teamwork.
The use of checklists in surgery is a best practice.1 There is a plethora of evidence that suggests using the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) reduces complications such as pneumonia,2 intraoperative blood loss,2 3 sepsis,2 unplanned intubation,2 urinary tract infections,2 wound infections,2–4 30-day readmissions and 30-day mortality.2–4 The SSC has three components, which need to be carried out for each phase of a surgical procedure, including sign-in, timeout and sign-out.5 The SSC serves as an aide memoir that includes vital information to prompt team discussions and actions that may otherwise be overlooked or forgotten, thereby promoting clear, consistent and timely communications among team members that prevents errors and enhances patient safety.6 Importantly, the SSC is more than merely a routine activity. When used as intended, it can promote effective teamwork and communication and enable surgical team members to voice their concerns regardless of their professional role.7
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Gillespie et al. (2024) conducted an editorial in Surgery. WHO Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) was evaluated. The WHO Surgical Safety Checklist promotes effective teamwork, communication, and patient safety when used as intended, rather than merely as a routine activity.
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