Using Standardized Checklists Increase the Completion Rate of Critical Actions in an Evacuation from the Operating...

Area of Science:

• Medical Simulation
• Patient Safety
• Emergency Preparedness

Background:

• Hospital evacuations for patients with special needs present unique challenges.
• Training hospital staff for rare emergency events like evacuations is difficult.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of standardized checklists on the evacuation of a simulated patient under general anesthesia from an operating room.
• To determine if checklists improve critical action completion rates and reduce evacuation time.

Main Methods:

• A vertical evacuation simulation using a high-fidelity manikin was conducted.
• Participants were randomized into a checklist group (CG) and a non-checklist group (NCG).
• Nineteen scenarios were run with 28 participants to assess performance.

Main Results:

• The checklist group demonstrated significantly better performance in critical actions such as securing the airway and managing supplies.
• No significant differences were found in overall evacuation time, preparation phase, or time to descend stairs between the groups.
• A vast majority of participants (27/28) believed checklists would improve real-world evacuation processes.

Conclusions:

• Standardized checklists enhance the completion rate of critical actions during operating room evacuations, thereby improving patient safety.
• Checklist implementation did not significantly impact the overall duration of the evacuation process.