Surgical safety checklists: An experimental model in Tuscany healthcare service

A surgical checklist has been recently introduced and experimented within a metropolitan hospital in Florence. The Azienda Sanitaria Firenze, one of the most largest healthcare trusts in Tuscany, held an experimental trial in the application of a surgeical safety checklist regarding patients undergoing surgical procedures through a 3 month period. This checklist differed from the one proposed by the WHO and its promoter, Prof. A. Gawande. Infact, the checklist used for experimental purposes traced all patient information and steps through the entire surgical procedure: from the ward to the operating room and back again. It also included information regarding swab tracing and all other instruments used during the procedure. The project lasted 3 months and regarded 2 major surgical wards. Focus was placed on general surgery procedures and emergency surgery. All professionals were involved and results were evaluated by a questionaire regarding checklist compliance, affordance, pitfalls and mishaps, improvement suggestions in design and applicability.