Checklists or similar tools decreased the rate of equipment errors in operating rooms by nearly half, according to a study in BMJ Quality & Safety.
A review of 28 studies revealed surgical errors were due to equipment failures in a median 23.5 percent of cases. General checklists reduced equipment errors by 48.6 percent and specific equipment checklists cut equipment errors by 60.7 percent.
The researchers suggested adding an equipment check to the existing World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist.
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