KPLU Local News
(2010-03-22)
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Dr. David Flum (left) and assistants prepare for surgery at the University of Washington, with the SCOAP checklist behind him.
KPLU
The medical community is celebrating a milestone on Monday, March 22nd-- one that's intended to make surgery safer for patients. Every hospital in Washington has now adopted a voluntary surgical checklist for doctors and nurses to use before operating. The leading cheerleader for this approach is University of Washington surgeon David Flum.
"It's preparing for the difficult, preparing for the unexpected. It's building a safety layer in," instead of relying on our own memories to avoid mistakes, says Flum. "People cant be perfect, but systems can strive for perfection. That's what we're trying to build in here."
Flum is medical director for a project called SCOAP, for the Surgical Care and Outcomes Assessment, which is partially funded through the state's Life Sciences Discovery Fund. He helped write a checklist with about 20 proven safety procedures that are usually followed, but can occasionally be forgotten. It includes reminders about antibiotics, allergies, and communication.
The first hospitals came on-board several years ago, and data collected from them shows they were able to cut the rate of complications in half, and the death rate by about a third.
Flum has been trying to persuade all surgeons across Washington that checklists won't hamper their freedom. The checklist only covers the first two or three minutes of a surgery, plus a few wrap-up questions at the end. While all hospitals in Washington--more than 100 of them--have agreed to adopt the checklist, surgeons can still opt-out.
"We think every hospital across the state should make it so that, if you operate at their hospital, you use a checklist every time," says Flum
(To listen to the full story from KPLU science and health reporter Keith Seinfeld, click the "play" arrow above.)
More information: Visit the SCOAP website.
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