Articles: checklist.
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The WHO Surgical Safety Checklist is a communication tool designed to improve surgical safety processes and enhance teamwork. It has been widely adopted since its introduction over ten years ago. As surgical safety needs evolve, organizations should periodically review and update their checklists. A holistic evaluation of the checklist in the context of an organization is the first step to making informed updates. In this article, we describe a comprehensive but feasible strategy for checklist evaluation which we developed and implemented as part of a surgical safety initiative in a high-performing center. ⋯ We developed and implemented a comprehensive, scalable approach to checklist evaluation which directly informed improvements to the checklist that were tailored to the organization's current context. Organizations can apply this framework to breathe new life into their checklist and transform their safety culture.
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Nurse-led rounding checklists are a common strategy for facilitating evidence-based practice in the intensive care unit (ICU). To streamline checklist workflow, some ICUs have the nurse or another individual listen to the conversation and customize the checklist for each patient. Such customizations assume that individuals can reliably assess whether checklist items have been addressed. ⋯ Using a paper-based assessment tool, a single trained critical care nurse can reliably assess the discussion of elements of the ABCDEF bundle during multidisciplinary rounds.
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Competency frameworks outline the perceived knowledge, skills, attitudes, and other attributes required for professional practice. These frameworks have gained in popularity, in part for their ability to inform health professions education, assessment, professional mobility, and other activities. Previous research has highlighted inadequate reporting related to their development which may then jeopardize their defensibility and utility. ⋯ The COmpeteNcy FramEwoRk Development in Health Professions (CONFERD-HP) reporting guideline permits a greater understanding of relevant terminology, core concepts, and key items to report for competency framework development in the health professions.
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Patient safety strategies highlight patients' own active involvement in ensuring medication safety. A prerequisite for involving patients in their medication therapy is having tools that can assist them in ensuring safe medicine use. Older home-dwelling adults with multiple medications are at high risk for medication-related problems, yet only a few age-specific patient self-administered medication risk screening tools exist. This study aimed to develop, validate, and assess the feasibility of a self-administered medication risk checklist for home-dwelling older adults ≥65 years. ⋯ A wide range of potential medication risks related to the medication use process can be identified by patient self-assessment. Screening tools such as LOTTA can enhance early detection of potential medication risks and risk communication between older adults and their healthcare providers. A wider and more integrated use of the checklist could be facilitated by making it electronically available as part of the patient information systems.