Effectiveness of a challenge-and-respond checklist in ensuring safety behavior compliance by medical team members at a rotor-wing Air Medical Program

Abstract

Introduction Checklists are a frequently recommended strategy for minimizing human error in both the aviation and medical industries, yet checklist noncompliance is sometimes cited as a factor in untoward incidents. We evaluate the use of a challenge-and-respond checklist designed to ensure compliance with basic pre-departure safety preparations by medical personnel at a helicopter air medical program. Methods The studied helicopter air medical transport program uses an interactive, challenge-and-respond checklist prior to departure to verify completion of four operational safety items. This is a prospective, convenience sample evaluation of 33 observations in which a checklist violation was created artificially and detection of that violation by the transport team was measured by direct observation. Characteristics of the transport by time, site of origin, and patient acuity were also recorded. Undetected violations were corrected by the investigator prior to departure, ensuring operational safety. Results Seven of the violations (21.2%) were detected by the transport team during routine completion of the checklist. Team members with less than 3 years of experience in the program had a 10% detection rate (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5-23.1), whereas those with greater than 3 years experience in the program had a 38.5% detection rate (95% CI, 12.0-65.0). In this sample, no other observed variable suggested an association with detection rates. Conclusion Routine completion of an interactive challenge-and-respond checklist by medical personnel had a low rate of detecting operational safety omissions in the studied helicopter critical care transport program. There was some difference in results by crew tenure.