How did the WHO Surgical Checklist change patient outcomes?
It cut the inpatient death rate by about fifty percent. Let that sit. A short list of basic things that people, positions, and staff confirm before surgery, and half the deaths that were happening stopped happening. This came out of Atul Gawande’s work, and it is now used in hospitals worldwide. What I find telling is the reaction. A lot of surgeons in the UK were furious, because the list made them feel like they had not been doing their jobs. Maybe it was not a full fifty percent of needless deaths, but it was higher than necessary, and ego was the thing standing in the way. Sound familiar? The dentist who insists he does not need a system is making the same ego argument. Swallow the pride and use the list.
If the answers you are finding here resonate with you, my team and I work with a small group of clients each year. The next step is a complimentary Discovery Consultation and Practice Review with Dr. McAnally.