Team-oriented. Communicative. Transparent. These are words that we want all patients to use when describing their operating teams. Teams that embody these characteristics likely work well together and make few mistakes. But creating a standardized surgical culture that encourages these qualities has proven challenging.
Implementing the surgical safety checklist can grow this culture by framing how an operating team communicates; in turn, this can minimize avoidable risks (like infections and allergic reactions) that endanger patients. It makes sense. A recent study,1 however, found no correlation between the surgical checklist and patient mortality. Does this mean that there is no value in its application?
In British Columbia, a variety of stakeholders from the surgical community have responded to this study with the hope of highlighting the value of good teamwork and communication in the operating room. There is tremendous value to the checklist beyond its statistical significance. It ensures that common objectives are being effectively communicated. It empowers all health professionals to speak up if they notice a potential error. It gives patients a voice in determining their own care.
Since there is very little education on teamwork for health professionals, past studies2 promoting the benefits of the checklist should not be discounted. Our group also suggests that hospitals invest resources and expertise to provide teams with coaching and training. This investment will undoubtedly foster the use of tools like the checklist.
The next time that you are in the operating room, imagine that it is you laying on the table. Would you want to have a high-functioning team performing your surgery? The answer is obvious. The checklist can help operating teams work better together. We hope our paper (Available at http://bcpsqc.ca/clinical-improvement/surgical-checklist/what-would-you-want-for-your-surgery/) offers constructive ideas on how Canada’s surgical community can move forward as it aims to improve care for patients.