Implementation of WHO surgical safety checklist in operating theatre of Masaka District Hospital

Abstract

Background Surgical care is an essential component in health care worldwide, 75% of all surgeries are the major surgeries, and it is estimates 234 million major surgeries each year corresponding to 1 operation for every 25 alive people. WHO estimates that 500.000 deaths per year could be prevented through worldwide implementation of the surgical safety checklist (SSC). Methods A pre and post intervention design was used in the current dissertation, the data on magnitude of the problem served as the baseline data, the root cause analysis were conducted in conjunction with the concerned staff, after getting the main causes; the alternative solutions were identified and interventions were selected after comparative analysis of identified alternative solutions. Results During the 4 months of selected intervention, December/2016 up to March /2017, the utilization of SSC was significantly increased from 0% in pre-intervention to 74% after intervention with a p.value ˂0.000., the Sign in and Time out were completed at 100% with a value ˂0.001 but the Sign out part was completed at a rate of 92% with a p-value of ˂0.001, the staff training on WHO SSC use increased the knowledge from an average score of 51% pre intervention up to 83% post intervention.. Conclusion Increase of knowledge through education and training and put in place the policy and procedures were the key strategies to implement the WHO SSC in Masaka District hospital, The implementation of WHO SSC improved team communication ,reduced the health care cost ,reduced peri operative mortality rate.