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Surgical Safety Checklist: Polychromatic or Achromatic Design
Jacek Lorkowski1,2, Izabella Maciejowska-Wilcock3
1Department of Orthopedics, Traumatology and Sports Medicine, Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration, Warsaw, Poland. jacek.lorkowski@gmail.com.
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
|December 31, 2021
Summary
The colorful Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) is more prevalent in clinical practice than black-and-white versions. This polychromatic design may enhance the effectiveness of the patient safety tool.
Area of Science:
- Medical Safety
- Surgical Procedures
- Healthcare Quality Improvement
Background:
- The WHO-recommended Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) is mandatory globally to enhance patient safety and reduce perioperative complications.
- While originally polychromatic, the SSC is often used in achromatic (black-and-white) formats in clinical settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the usage prevalence of polychromatic versus achromatic SSC versions.
- To analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each SSC design in practical application.
Main Methods:
- A systematic image search was conducted on Google using various "surgical safety checklist" keywords in 103 languages.
- Thematic analysis of the top relevant images (mean of 5 ±2 per language) was performed to quantify the use of achromatic and polychromatic SSC designs.
- Data collection concluded in June 2021.
Main Results:
- Polychromatic SSC designs were found to predominate in practical use.
- Analysis revealed varying ranges of achromatic and polychromatic image occurrences: 0-6 (27.6%), 0-9 (41.6%), and 0-6 (27.6%).
Conclusions:
- The polychromatic version of the Surgical Safety Checklist is more commonly utilized in practice.
- The visual appeal of the polychromatic SSC design likely improves its effectiveness by capturing healthcare professionals' attention.
