Compliance with the Surgery Safety Checklist: An Update on the Status

Area of Science:

• Medical Safety
• Surgical Procedures
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the Surgery Safety Checklist (SSC) to mitigate perioperative errors.
• Logistic errors in surgery can lead to severe complications and fatalities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review medical literature regarding the effectiveness of the current Surgery Safety Checklist (SSC).
• To identify limitations and areas for improvement in the existing SSC.

Main Methods:

• Literature search conducted on PubMed using the search term "Surgery Safety Checklist".
• Analysis of 1,476 articles, with 811 selected for detailed review.
• Identification and discussion of 59 studies focusing on the SSC's effectiveness in its current form.

Main Results:

• The Surgery Safety Checklist (SSC) demonstrably reduces perioperative complications and mortality.
• Concerns exist regarding the checklist's standardized content versus varied clinical scenarios and settings.
• The precise contribution of the SSC versus its embedded procedural algorithms to complication reduction remains unclear.

Conclusions:

• Periodic updates to the Surgery Safety Checklist (SSC) are essential to incorporate medical advancements and new technologies.
• Updating the SSC will enhance its clinical relevance and prevent it from becoming a procedural burden for operating room staff.