Surgical safety checklists in developing countries

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Surgical Safety
• Health Systems Strengthening

Background:

• Surgical safety checklists, like the World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist (WHO SSC), are proven to reduce morbidity.
• Developing countries face unique challenges in implementing surgical safety interventions due to resource limitations and cultural factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the benefits and challenges of implementing surgical safety checklists in developing countries.
• To explore adaptations of the WHO SSC for resource-limited settings.
• To discuss strategies for promoting checklist adoption in low-income countries.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on surgical safety checklists in developing countries.
• Analysis of barriers and facilitators to implementation.
• Revisiting the original WHO SSC for applicability in resource-poor environments.

Main Results:

• The WHO SSC has shown efficacy but faces significant implementation barriers in low-income countries.
• Adaptation of checklists is crucial for successful integration.
• Cultural and resource-specific factors significantly impact checklist use.

Conclusions:

• Adapting the WHO SSC is essential to harness its benefits in resource-limited settings.
• Addressing cultural and resource barriers is key to improving surgical safety globally.
• Further strategies are needed to encourage widespread checklist implementation in developing nations.