implementation — to 2.84% in 2013. In comparison, the 44 non-partici-
pating hospitals in South Carolina saw their 30-day post-operative
mortality rate rise from 3.5% in 2010 to 3.71% in 2013.
"A checklist is not a piece of paper," says Dr. Haynes. "What is
does is help to structure a verbal exercise so everyone in the OR is
engaged and participating in constructive information sharing.
Implicit communication turns explicit, so there's no assuming."
Dr. Haynes is quick to note that the checklist is only a tool, however
an important one — "the centerpiece," as he calls it. The kinds of
improvements seen in the South Carolina study reflect a broader,
team-based commitment to patient safety.
"It takes a lot of work on the part of the different teams to integrate
these kinds of processes into the routine," he says. "You need engage-
7 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J U N E 2 0 1 7
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