Effectiveness of Safety Checklists in Hospitals
Author Information
Author(s): Ko Henry CH, Turner Tari J, Finnigan Monica A
Primary Institution: Centre for Clinical Effectiveness, Southern Health
Hypothesis
In acute hospital settings, would the use of safety checklists applied by medical care teams, compared to not using checklists, improve patient safety?
Conclusion
The studies suggest some benefits of using safety checklists to improve protocol adherence and patient safety, but their results should be interpreted with caution due to high risks of bias.
Supporting Evidence
- Some studies showed improvements in patient safety with checklists, but results were inconsistent.
- The studies varied in design, implementation, and outcomes measured, complicating comparisons.
- High risk of bias was noted in all but one of the studies.
Takeaway
Using checklists in hospitals might help keep patients safer, but the studies show mixed results, so we need to be careful about how we use them.
Methodology
A systematic review of nine cohort studies with historical controls was conducted, assessing the effectiveness of safety checklists in various hospital settings.
Potential Biases
Most studies had a high risk of bias due to methodological issues and variations in study design.
Limitations
The studies were generally of low to moderate quality and had a high risk of bias, making it difficult to draw confident conclusions.
Participant Demographics
The studies included patients in various acute hospital settings, but specific demographic details were often not reported.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI = 0.24, 0.81
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website