The Development and Use of a Modified WHO Checklist for Use in Electroconvulsive Therapy

The World Health Organization checklist is proven to reduce morbidity and mortality and is mandatory in operating theater settings, but not for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the UK. We believe that such a checklist is especially relevant in an ECT setting because of the high turnover of short cases and for specific checks particularly pertinent to ECT patients. Our ECT team has developed a checklist with the headings Sign In, Psychiatric Concerns, Anesthetic Concerns, and Recovery, which we have found efficacious. We recommend that all centers offering ECT develop their own World Health Organization checklist to improve patient safety.