SAFETY CULTURE
HCPs' perception of the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist and psychological safety
Published on
Dec 9, 2024
BMJ Open Quality
Kjestine Emilie Møller, Olivia Wisborg McLeskey, Susanne Rosthøj, Patricia Trbovich, Teodor Grantcharov, Jette Led Sorensen, Jeanett Strandbygaard
Overview
This cross-sectional survey explored the relationship between healthcare professionals’ (HCPs) perceptions of the World Health Organization’s Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) and their levels of psychological safety in the operating room. Although the SSC is a widely adopted tool to enhance communication and reduce errors during surgery, little is known about how psychological safety influences HCPs’ engagement with the checklist. By surveying 100 HCPs across five professional groups, the study aimed to assess whether viewing the checklist positively is linked to greater psychological safety, a key factor in promoting open communication and collaboration during surgical procedures.
Results
Out of 125 invited participants, 107 responded and 100 completed the survey. The analysis revealed that psychological safety significantly increased with more favorable perceptions of the SSC. Specifically, psychological safety rose with the belief that colleagues listen during checklist reviews (increase of 1.25; 95% CI 0.36 to 2.14; p=0.006), that the checklist enhances interdisciplinary teamwork (increase of 1.1; 95% CI 0.4 to 1.7; p=0.002), and that it brings structure to the operating room (increase of 0.86; 95% CI 0.15 to 1.57; p=0.02). In contrast, viewing the checklist as time-consuming was associated with a significant decrease in psychological safety (decrease of 1.4; 95% CI 0.5 to 2.3; p=0.004). These results highlight a clear association between the perceived value of the SSC and the psychological safety experienced by HCPs.
Peer-reviewed Research
