Cited by 5,688Patient Safety and Medication ErrorsCardiac, Anesthesia and Surgical OutcomesSurgical site infection prevention

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A Surgical Safety Checklist to Reduce Morbidity and Mortality in a Global Population

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Haynes, Alex B., Weiser, Thomas G., Berry, William R., Lipsitz, Stuart R., Breizat, Abdel-Hadi S., Dellinger, E. Patchen, Herbosa, Teodoro, Joseph, Sudhir, Kibatala, Pascience L., Lapitan, Marie Carmela M., Merry, Alan F., Moorthy, Krishna, Reznick, Richard K., Taylor, Bryce, Gawande, Atul A.·2009·New England Journal of Medicine

DOI 10.1056/nejmsa0810119

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Surgery has become an integral part of global health care, with an estimated 234 million operations performed yearly. Surgical complications are common and often preventable. We hypothesized that a program to implement a 19-item surgical safety checklist designed to improve team communication and consistency of care would reduce complications and deaths associated with surgery. METHODS: Between October 2007 and September 2008, eight hospitals in eight cities (Toronto, Canada; New Delhi, India; Amman, Jordan; Auckland, New Zealand; Manila, Philippines; Ifakara, Tanzania; London, England; and Seattle, WA) representing a variety of economic circumstances and diverse populations of patients participated in the World Health Organization's Safe Surgery Saves Lives program. We prospectively collected data on clinical processes and outcomes from 3733 consecutively enrolled patients 16 years of age or older who were undergoing noncardiac surgery. We subsequently collected data on 3955 consecutively enrolled patients after the introduction of the Surgical Safety Checklist. The primary end point was the rate of complications, including death, during hospitalization within the first 30 days after the operation. RESULTS: The rate of death was 1.5% before the checklist was introduced and declined to 0.8% afterward (P=0.003). Inpatient complications occurred in 11.0% of patients at baseline and in 7.0% after introduction of the checklist (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of the checklist was associated with concomitant reductions in the rates of death and complications among patients at least 16 years of age who were undergoing noncardiac surgery in a diverse group of hospitals.

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Authors: Haynes, A. B., Weiser, T. G., Berry, W. R., Lipsitz, S. R., Breizat, A.-H. S., Dellinger, E. P., Herbosa, T., Joseph, S., Kibatala, P. L., Lapitan, M. C. M., Merry, A. F., Moorthy, K., Reznick, R. K., Taylor, B., & Gawande, A. A.
Affiliations: Harvard University (US)
Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
Ministry of Health (JO)
University of Washington (US)
University of the Philippines Manila (PH)
St. Stephen’s Hospital (IN)
St. Francis Referral Hospital (TZ)
University of Auckland (NZ)
National Health Service (GB)
University Health Network (CA)
ORCID: Haynes, Alex B.
Weiser, Thomas G.
Berry, William R.
Lipsitz, Stuart R.
Dellinger, E. Patchen
Lapitan, Marie Carmela M.
Merry, Alan F.
Moorthy, Krishna
Reznick, Richard K.
Gawande, Atul A.
Venue: New England Journal of Medicine
Publisher: Massachusetts Medical Society
Published: 2009-01-29
Volume: 360
Issue: 5
Pages: 491-499
ISSN: 0028-4793 (ISSN-L)
1533-4406
DOI: 10.1056/nejmsa0810119
OpenAlex: W2119472226
Cited by: 5,688
References: 41
Citations by year: 2026: 256 · 2025: 215 · 2024: 256 · 2023: 247 · 2022: 325 · 2021: 335 · 2020: 337 · 2019: 336 · 2018: 340 · 2017: 362 · 2016: 349 · 2015: 406 · 2014: 405 · 2013: 372 · 2012: 363
FWCI: 514.06
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: bronze
doi.org
Locations: New England Journal of Medicine (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
ResearchSpace (University of Auckland) (submittedVersion)
Topics: Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Patient Safety and Medication Errors
Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiac, Anesthesia and Surgical Outcomes
Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Surgical site infection prevention
Keywords: surgical safety checklist, surgical complications, postoperative mortality, non-cardiac surgery, team communication, patient safety, checklist implementation, global health care, in-hospital complications
MeSH terms: Humans, Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care, Postoperative Complications, Prospective Studies, Surgical Procedures, Operative, Safety Management

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A Surgical Safety Checklist to Reduce Morbidity and Mortality in a Global Population

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