An EHR-Driven Checklist Manifesto

By JOHN HALAMKA, MD

Boston Physician Atul Gawande wrote The Checklist Manifesto in 2009  stressing that medicine should adopt “pilot's checklists” to ensure that operating room teams are “ready for takeoff” before a scalpel is ever opened.

Here's the “Time Out” done among all OR team members before a case beings – it includes a list of staff participating in the timeout, the agreed upon procedure, the verification of consent, appropriately marked operative site, patient identity verification, and best practices for prophylaxis.

We also have procedure specific checklists for each operating room role.   Here are transplant checklists for surgeons and nurses

Here are spine surgery checklists for surgeons and nurses

Many complain that electronic health records create burden without significant benefit.   Implementing checklists into the workflow of EHRs in the operating room is high value, ensuring good team communication, while also reducing error.   A win/win for everyone!

John Halamka is the CIO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.