The
next time you or a family member are scheduled for surgery, ask if that
surgeon, that hospital, use the surgical safety checklist.
From PBS.org
February 8, 2010
'Checklist Manifesto' Author Pairs Simplicity With Lifesaving
To view video or read complete transcript see:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/jan-june10/gawande_02-08.html
Excerpts:
DR. ATUL GAWANDE: . . . We knew we had technology and incredible levels
of training, people working unbelievably hard. But we have more than
100,000 deaths just in the United States following surgery. Half are
avoidable, from our studies. What could we do . . . .
BETTY ANN BOWSER: After months of research, in 2008, Gawande and his
team created the surgical safety checklist for the WHO (World Health
Organization) . . .
BETTY ANN BOWSER: And it didn't matter if the hospital was rich or
poor. Gawande argues the simple checklist is effective, because, in
today's high-tech, complex medical world, there is just too much for
the human mind to remember. . . .
DR. ATUL GAWANDE: (hospitals) are scary places. We are deploying 6,000
drugs and 4,000 medical and surgical procedures. And those numbers grow
year-to-year.
I started using the surgery checklist, this approach of things, in my
operations a couple of years ago. We're at Harvard. Did I think we
needed this? No. And I found I have not gotten through a week without
the checklist catching things that made us better, an antibiotic that
wasn't given, blood that was supposed to be available . . .
DR. ATUL GAWANDE: In Michigan, when every hospital there adopted a
cleanliness checklist to keep infected lines from happening, they had a
two-thirds reduction in infections within a year. They saved more than
1,500 lives and more than 0 million. Spreading this across the
country multiplies that by 50-fold.
BETTY ANN BOWSER: In a nation where health care costs are going up
faster than inflation, Gawande says that's something to think about.
Currently, the checklist is employed in less than one-quarter of U.S.
hospitals.
Joie, this is great information. I shall print a copy for my Doctor's. Technology is growing so fast that it is difficult for doctor's to keep up with it all and this also includes their reading. I can fully understand why there is a specialist for all conditions.
GG,
There are even subspecialists! I know someone having some heart issues, and he sees cardio docs that are subspecialists.
Glad u found the info useful. I think we consumers/citizens must also be proactive in taking steps toward making our health care system more efficient, safer, with better outcomes -- not only could this simple approach, utilizing a surgical safety checklist, save lives, but also reduce health care spending.
Take care, hope the RA is behavin'.
Copyright ArthritisInsight.com