Using a STOP/GO protocol in the preoperative area to increase patient safety

A multitude of surgeries are performed each year and 15% of cases have an adverse event, most of which are preventable. A culture of safety must be adopted by the entire surgical team. A preoperative checklist in addition to the intraoperative checklist can help decrease errors. We adapted a Stop/Go process in the preoperative area which had to be completed prior to moving the patient into the operating room. We examined adverse events before and after this process. Adverse events decreased from 1.5% to nearly 0% over the time examined. The Stop/Go preoperative checklist, adapted to our specific operating room needs, helped to decrease adverse events.