Safe Surgery Checklist

The purpose of the Safe Surgery Checklist (SSC) is to provide the surgical team a communication tool that is aimed at improving patient safety in the OR whereby the team pauses three times during the patient’s surgical experience to ensure team is present, listening and agree that all is in place to provide quality care to that particular patient.

The patient participates directly in the first phase (briefing) of the Safe Surgery Checklist
Compliance with the Safe Surgery Checklist will lead to an improved, safer surgical experience for Albertans.

Use of the checklist is correlated with a reduction in adverse and “never” events and improved adherence to critical safety checks. A decrease in adverse events translates into superior patient experience and outcomes.

The Safe Surgery Checklist has been identified as an Accreditation Canada Requirement of Practice (ROP).
Measuring compliance through the audit process helps identify if challenges exist within a site and, if so, where improvement efforts can be focused

Auditing the Safe Surgery Checklist (Interactive PDF)

Resources

Policy/Procedure  VII-B-240               
Link to Learning Videos
SSC PowerPoint
User Manual
Covenant Health Safe Surgery Checklist (with leads and responsibilities noted)  
AHS Safe Surgery Checklist
Safe Surgery Checklist for C-Section
Safe Surgery Checklist for Opthalmology