Therefore, all the benefits of the checklist are attainable only if the compliance and implementation are proper. It has also been shown that there is a direct relationship between improved clinical outcomes associated not just with the introduction of checklist but with compliance to the checklist. It has been observed that the use of the SSC is associated with the development of a better safety attitude among the operating personnel. Previous research has indicated that the implementation of the SSC leads to a decrease in perioperative complications and the number of communication failures in the OT. In 2009, a modified version of the WHO checklist was introduced in the major operation theatres (OT) at our hospital, which is a tertiary level cancer center in India.

Based on these processes, the WHO implemented a Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) for briefings in the operating room (OR). These included inadequate anesthetic safety practices, avoidable surgical infection, and poor communication among team members. In 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the “Safe Surgery Saves Lives” global campaign during which it identified key processes in the operative period that could potentially affect patient outcomes. They have been shown to be valuable in various professions such as aviation and the armed services. Many of these complications may be due to preventable or modifiable causes.Ĭhecklists or protocols are a common tool for preventing human errors in complex and high intensity areas of work.

These figures are from the Western world, and it is likely that the incidence of these complications is higher in developing countries such as India. Complications are not uncommon and occur in 3–16% of all surgical procedures, with permanent disability or mortality rates ranging between 0.4 and 0.8% in all surgical procedures. Surgery forms an important treatment modality with millions of surgical procedures performed world over. The delivery of healthcare is complex and riddled with the potential for errors due to human factors, system failure, or a combination of both.

Safety checklist