Using Checklists to Prevent Wrong Site Surgery in Orthopaedics
Author Information
Author(s): Sukhmeet Panesar, Douglas J Noble, Saqeb B Mirza, Bhavesh Patel, Bhupinder Mann, Mark Emerton, Kevin Cleary, Aziz Sheikh, Mohit Bhandari
Primary Institution: National Patient Safety Agency
Hypothesis
How many incidents of wrong site surgery in orthopaedics could have been prevented by the WHO surgical checklist?
Conclusion
The WHO surgical checklist could have prevented 21.1% of reported wrong site surgery incidents in orthopaedics.
Supporting Evidence
- 42% of incidents were classified as wrong site surgery.
- 91% of reported incidents resulted in no harm.
- The checklist could have prevented 14.9% of near-misses and 83.3% of actual harm incidents.
Takeaway
Using a checklist before surgery can help doctors avoid making mistakes like operating on the wrong body part.
Methodology
The study analyzed data from the National Reporting and Learning Service database for incidents of wrong site surgery in orthopaedics from 2008.
Potential Biases
Potential biases due to misclassification of incidents and reliance on self-reported data.
Limitations
The study faced challenges with data accuracy and under-reporting in the NRLS database.
Participant Demographics
Data included incidents from various hospitals in the UK, but specific demographics of patients were not detailed.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI 14.1 - 28.0%
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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