Use Of Checklist Research Articles

Exploring the Use of Chemistry-based Computer Simulations and Animations Instructional Activities to Support Students’ Learning of Science Process Skills

This study aimed at exploring the instructional activities that could support students’ learning of science process skills by using chemistry-based computer simulations and animations. A total of 160 students were randomly selected and 20 teachers were purposively selected to participate in the study. Data were gathered in both qualitative and quantitative formats. This was accomplished through the use of a classroom observation checklist as well as a lesson reflection sheet. The qualitative data were analyzed thematically, while the quantitative data were analyzed using percentages. The key findings from the study indicated that chemistry-based computer simulations and animations through instructional activities, particularly formulating hypotheses, planning experiments, identifying variables, developing operational definitions and interpretations, and drawing conclusions, support students in learning science process skills. It was found that during the teaching and learning process, more than 70% of students were able to perform well in the aforementioned types of instructional activities, while 60% performed well in planning experiments. On the other hand, as compared to other instructional activities, planning experiments was least observed among students and teachers. Students can be engaged in knowledge construction while learning science process skills through the use of chemistry-based computer simulations and animations instructional activities. Therefore, the current study strongly recommends the use of chemistry-based computer simulations and animations by teachers to facilitate students’ learning of chemistry concepts in Tanzanian secondary schools.

Evaluation of Nursing Staff's Practices about Aseptic Technique in Operation Room

The process of using practices and procedures to prevent contamination from pathogens. It involves applying the strictest rules to minimize the risk of infection. Healthcare professionals use aseptic technique in surgery rooms, clinics, outpatient care centers, and other health care settings. The present study aimed to evaluate of nursesꞌ practices about aseptic technique in operation room. A quantitative design (descriptive study) was carried out at Al-Diwaniya Teaching Hospital for the period from 15thoctober, 2021 to 28thapril, 2022. Purposive sample comprised of (30) nurses who have been actually working in the operation room. through the use of practice checklist includes (20) items concerning aseptic technique in operation room. The results of the study revealed that the majority of participants were have a moderate level about aseptic technique practices in operation room as show 28(93.3%) with mean of score and standard division (1.85 ∓ 0.120), The study concluded that the nurses working in operation room have a moderate level of practice about aseptic technique in operation room. The study recommended that the nurses staff can be encouraged and motivated for participating in the special training programs and conference with leading aseptic technique who have long experience in teaching at aseptic technique procedure to fulfill the nurses needs concerning defects and limitation in their knowledge and practice.

Evaluation of Nurses practices regarding postoperative pain management among Adult patient with abdominal surgery

The influence of pain on one's quality of life, social connections, physical capacity, and mental health was significant. A nurse's or other health care professional's lack of information about pain evaluation and treatment, worries of opioid usage, abuse, and diversion, and misunderstandings about the therapeutic dose of analgesia can all contribute to inadequate pain relief. The research aims to evaluate the nurses' practice in the management of postoperative pain for adult patients after abdominal surgery. A major barrier to properly managing pain was a lack of awareness and practices of pain management. A quantitative design (descriptive study) was carried out at Al-Diwaniya Teaching Hospital for the period from 15thoctober, 2021 to 20thMay, 2022. The present study aimed to evaluate of nursesꞌ practices about management of postoperative pain for adult patients after abdominal surgery. Purposive sample comprised of (30) nurses who have been actually working in the surgical wards. Through the use of practice checklist includes (21) items concerning management of postoperative pain. The results of the study revealed that the majority of participants were have a poor level about management of postoperative pain as show with mean of score and standard division (1.58 ∓ 0.359).The study concluded that the nurses working in surgical wards have a poor level of practice about management of postoperative pain for adult patients with abdominal surgery.

Improving diabetic patients’ adherence to treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease (Office Guidelines Applied to Practice—IMPACT Study)—a cluster randomized controlled effectiveness trial

BackgroundDespite nationwide improvements in cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and morbidity, CVD deaths in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are 2–4 times higher than among those without T2DM. A key contributor to these poor health outcomes is medication non-adherence. Twenty-one to 42% of T2DM patients do not take blood sugar, blood pressure (BP), or statin medications as prescribed. Interventions that foster and reinforce patient-centered communication show promise in improving health outcomes. However, they have not been widely implemented, in part due to a lack of compelling evidence for their effectiveness in real-life primary care settings.MethodsThis pragmatic cluster-randomized trial randomizes 17 teams in 12 Federally Qualified Healthcare Centers (FQHCs) to two experimental groups: intervention (group 1): Office-Gap + Texting vs. control (group 2): Texting only. Office-GAP (Office-Guidelines Applied to Practice) is a patient activation intervention to improve communication and patient-provider partnerships through brief patient and provider training in shared decision-making (SDM) and use of a guideline-based checklist. The texting intervention (Way2Health) is a cell phone messaging service that informs and encourages patients to adhere to goals, adhere to medication use and improve communication. After recruitment, patients in groups 1 and 2 will both attend (1) one scheduled group visit, (90–120 min) conducted by trained research assistants, and (2) follow-up visits with their providers after group visit at 0–1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Data will be collected over 12-month intervention period. Our primary outcome is medication adherence measured using eCAP electronic monitoring and self-report. Secondary outcomes are (a) diabetes-specific 5-year CVD risk as measured with the UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) Engine score, (b) provider engagement as measured by the CollaboRATE Shared-Decision Making measure, and (c) patient activation measures (PAM).DiscussionThis study will provide a rigorous pragmatic evaluation of the effectiveness of combined mHealth, and patient activation interventions compared to mHealth alone, targeting patients and healthcare providers in safety net health centers, in improving medication adherence and decreasing CVD risk. Given that 20–50% of adults with chronic illness demonstrate medication non-adherence, increasing adherence is essential to improve CVD outcomes as well as healthcare cost savings.Trial registrationThe ClinicalTrials.gov registration number is NCT04874116.

Use of intraoperative haemostatic checklists on blood management in patients undergoing cardiac surgery: a scoping review protocol

IntroductionA major complication of cardiac surgery is bleeding which can require surgical re-exploration and the transfusion of allogeneic blood products. Re-operative procedures for bleeding have been associated with higher rates...

Effect of real-time feedback device compared to use or non-use of a checklist performance aid on post-training performance and retention of infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation: A randomized simulation-based trial

IntroductionThis study aims to determine the best method for achieving optimal performance of pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) during simulation-based training, whether with or without a performance aid. MethodsIn this randomized controlled study, 46 participants performed simulated CPR in pairs on a Resusci Baby QCPR™ mannequin, repeated after four weeks. All participants performed the first simulation without performance aids. For the second simulation, they were randomly assigned to one of three groups with stratification based on status: throughout CPR, Group A (n = 16) was the control group and did not use a performance aid; Group B (n = 16) used the CPR checklist; Group C (n = 14) used real-time visualization of their CPR activity on a feedback device. Overall performance was assessed using the QCPR™. ResultsAll groups demonstrated improved performance on the second simulation (p < 0.01). Use of the feedback device resulted in better CPR performance than use of the CPR checklist (p = 0.02) or no performance aid (p = 0.04). Additionally, participants thought that the QCPR™ could effectively improve their technical competences. ConclusionsPerformance aid based on continuous feedback is helpful in the learning process. The use of the QCPR™, a real-time feedback device, improved the quality of resuscitation during infant CPR simulation-based training.

P20 Pre-operative checklist to improve pathway for carotid endarterectomy (CEA) patients: a single centre audit

Abstract Introduction The SARS-COV-2 pandemic has led to the redistribution of NHS services. In our sector, CEA surgery moved to an NHS hospital where it had not previously been undertaken. To ensure safety a new standard operating procedure (SOP) was proposed. An audit was undertaken to evaluate the SOP, construct a pre-operative checklist, subsequently measure its effectiveness and identify improvements. Methods To ascertain key pre-operative steps to include in the checklist a questionnaire was completed by 9 SpR/Consultants. The form consisted of a ranking score from 0 (never done) to 10 (always done). Once the checklist was established the questionnaire was re-sent additionally asking for feedback on its impact on the service and suggestions for improvement. Using these results, the checklist was incorporated as a smart text to EPIC (electronic patient notes). Results The following key steps were identified: MDT decision, vascular review, imaging, anaesthetic review, relevant results (bloods, COVID swab and echo), theatre/bed booking, on-admission steps and post-op care. All 9 doctors felt the checklist improved the service in all domains, except bed availability and subsequent surgical delay, likely because this depended on HDU bed availability and need for on-the-day prioritisation. Conclusion The CEA surgery checklist is now an established part of the electronic patient record in the form of a simplified flowsheet with tick-boxes and space to insert results. This has ensured a standardised contemporary record of each patient's progress. All members of the team including new/temporary staff can follow this, ensuring a safe care pathway. Take-home message With the move of CEA surgery to an alternative London site it is important to establish a safe standard operating procedure. This has been facilitated by the use of a new pre-operative checklist ensuring a standardised contemporary record of each patient's progress.

Decoding the Psychiatric Space: Cross Country Comparison of Facilities for Mental Health Service Users.

Normalisation theory made perfect sense at the onset of de-institutionalisation. To map its influence on mental health facilities, research was conducted and began with ten facilities within England (UK) and France, followed by a further two in England and four in New Zealand. A checklist tailored to mental health facilities was used to measure the extent to which the facility looked domestic or institutional. Hence, the mental health checklist architecturally measured domesticity versus institutionalisation in psychiatric architecture. It consisted of 212 features, grouped into three main categories—context and site; building; and space and room—and was based on a pre-existing checklist designed for hostels for those with learning disabilities. The mental health checklist was developed and piloted in Europe and reflected European de-institutionalisation principles. Cross-country comparison revealed that patient acuity was potentially not a determinant of institutional buildings for mental health. Institutional facilities in France were detected, and some of the most domestic facilities were within England, with the most recent sample having a greater tendency towards the more institutional end. Those in New Zealand tended towards the most institutional. Across all 16 facilities, there were very few universal institutional and domestic features, raising the ambiguity of a clearly defined stereotype of facilities for mental health service users. Consequently, the current fluidity of design across and within countries provides a significant opportunity for designers and mental health providers to consider non-institutional design, particularly at the planning stage. The use of the mental health checklist facilitates this debate. Future research in other geographical areas and through further consideration of cultural differences provides further opportunities to extend research in this area, with the potential to enhance and improve the lived experience of users of mental health services.

Aplicación conjunta de diversas herramientas de calidad en la reanimación neonatal

IntroductionIn neonatal resuscitation, it is important to know whether the use of a combination of quality assessment tools has an impact on the preparation of the resuscitation bed and equipment, the correct performance of the procedure and the clinical outcomes of the most vulnerable neonates. Material and methodsMulticentre, prospective, quasi-experimental interventional study in five level III-A neonatal units. In the pre- and post-intervention phases, both of which lasted 1 year, there were weekly random audits of the stabilization beds in the delivery room to assess their preparation. In the post-intervention phase, checklists, briefings and debriefings were used in the resuscitation of neonates delivered before 32 weeks. We compared the performance of the procedure and early post-resuscitation outcomes in the 2 periods. Results852 audits were carried out in the pre-intervention period and 877 in the post-intervention period. There was a greater percentage of audits that did not identify defects in the second phase (63% vs 81%; P<.001). The first phase included 75 resuscitations and the second 48, out of which all the quality assessment tools had been used in 36 (75%). We did not find any differences in the main clinical variables during stabilization, although we observed a trend towards fewer technical problems during the procedure in the second period. ConclusionsThe use of random audits, checklists, briefings and debriefings in the resuscitation of newborns delivered before 32 weeks is feasible but has no impact on short-term clinical outcomes or correct performance of the procedure. Audits of neonatal resuscitation beds significantly improved their preparation.

A Novel Mobilization Criteria Checklist 12 to 24 Hours After Intravenous Thrombolysis in Acute Ischemic Stroke

Purpose: This study describes the development and utilization of a novel mobilization criteria checklist that can guide clinical decision making to safely initiate very early mobilization for patients with acute ischemic stroke within 12 to 24 hours after intravenous (IV) thrombolysis. Methods: The evidence was examined, and risk factors for hemorrhagic transformation and considerations for initiating or terminating mobility within the first 12 to 24 hours were identified. The information was formatted into a mobilization criteria checklist for use in a case study 12 to 24 hours after tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), an IV thrombolytic, was given for acute ischemic stroke at a certified comprehensive stroke center. Outcomes: The tool was an additive to clinical practice and provided a clinical guide to optimize patient safety for an established institutional practice. Discussion: A mobilization criteria checklist is a helpful tool to screen for serious risk factors of hemorrhagic transformation in the first 24 hours after IV thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke. With further development, the foundational concepts may guide future research to establish clinical practice guidelines and a standard of care to optimize the selection of patients most appropriate for mobility within 12 to 24 hours.

APA Journal Pilots Race, Ethnicity, and Culture Checklist for Submissions

APA Journal Pilots Race, Ethnicity, and Culture Checklist for Submissions

Development and validation of a checklist for use with automatically generated radiotherapy plans.

PurposeTo develop a checklist that improves the rate of error detection during the plan review of automatically generated radiotherapy plans.MethodsA custom checklist was developed using guidance from American Association of Physicists in Medicine task groups 275 and 315 and the results of a failure modes and effects analysis of the Radiation Planning Assistant (RPA), an automated contouring and treatment planning tool. The preliminary checklist contained 90 review items for each automatically generated plan. In the first study, eight physicists were recruited from our institution who were familiar with the RPA. Each physicist reviewed 10 artificial intelligence‐generated resident treatment plans from the RPA for safety and plan quality, five of which contained errors. Physicists performed plan checks, recorded errors, and rated each plan's clinical acceptability. Following a 2‐week break, physicists reviewed 10 additional plans with a similar distribution of errors using our customized checklist. Participants then provided feedback on the usability of the checklist and it was modified accordingly. In a second study, this process was repeated with 14 senior medical physics residents who were randomly assigned to checklist or no checklist for their reviews. Each reviewed 10 plans, five of which contained errors, and completed the corresponding survey.ResultsIn the first study, the checklist significantly improved the rate of error detection from 3.4 ± 1.1 to 4.4 ± 0.74 errors per participant without and with the checklist, respectively (p = 0.02). Error detection increased by 20% when the custom checklist was utilized. In the second study, 2.9 ± 0.84 and 3.5 ± 0.84 errors per participant were detected without and with the revised checklist, respectively (p = 0.08). Despite the lack of statistical significance for this cohort, error detection increased by 18% when the checklist was utilized.ConclusionOur results indicate that the use of a customized checklist when reviewing automated treatment plans will result in improved patient safety.

Triage and dysphagia: Are hospitals in the South African public health sector ready?

Dysphagia screening is unequivocally beneficial for individuals who may be at risk of swallowing impairment. Benefits range from capitalising on early intervention, facilitating hydration and nutrition, reduced financial costs for the patient and prevention of dysphagia-related complications. Why then is there a need for triage? Inefficiencies and often non-existence of screening and referral processes require one to consider if triage may be a more viable option in the public healthcare context. Dysphagia triage could potentially prioritise emergency swallowing care and identify patients who need immediate swallowing attention because of the nature or severity of dysphagia. The use of a dysphagia triage checklist could have implications for patient health outcomes in terms of the safety of oral diets, development of aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition, administration of oral medication and overall patient prognosis.

Building a pharmacy workforce from the ground up to support the COVID‐19 vaccine rollout: lessons learned and recommendations

The COVID‐19 pandemic has required an unprecedented surge in the pharmacy workforce to support mass vaccination hubs. This review discusses the challenges faced while training and credentialing a surge pharmacy workforce and how these challenges were overcome. The process used for training and credentialing new employees has been described and recommendations and insights have been provided based on the lessons learned at two COVID‐19 mass vaccination hubs in New South Wales. Operationalising one of the largest mass vaccination hubs in Australia required efficient training and credentialing of the pharmacy workforce. This process included the use of pharmacist‐extenders such as students, assistants, and those from other healthcare and non‐healthcare backgrounds. Training was optimised by using a flipped classroom model, so that the vaccine preparation process was provided via asynchronous online videos. The videos covered each step of vaccine dose preparation with visual cues to guide appropriate technique. On‐site training involved use of simulation and checklists for credentialing. Many factors contributed to the success of this process, including the use of triaging and the re‐allocation of personnel based on skill level, collaboration with the Sydney Pharmacy School to train and support a surge workforce involving students, initial on‐site information technology support in the form of pharmacy superusers, the use of checklists and guides for troubleshooting, and assigned pharmacy educators to train new employees. The public health response to the COVID‐19 pandemic forced us to rapidly adapt to build a pharmacy workforce in record time to support mass vaccination hubs. The recommendations and insights provided from our experience can guide future surges. Some of these concepts may also be applied to pharmacy practice in hospitals when resources are constrained.

A Recipe for Success: Conducting a Gap Analysis to Decrease Central Line-associated Bloodstream Infection (CLABSI) Rates in a Post-COVID-19 World

BackgroundDuring the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic hospitals nationwide saw significant increases in central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). Factors that likely influenced this include staffing challenges, personal protective equipment practices and drift in compliance with infection prevention bundles. To prevent further infections in 2021, a 788-bed teaching hospital established a multidisciplinary team to conduct a gap analysis to identify practice drifts that may have resulted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and develop targeted interventions.MethodsA team composed of infection prevention, nursing, physicians, and environmental services conducted a gap analysis that included re-evaluation of policies, procedures, and infection prevention bundles in conjunction with a frontline staff survey of current practices to assess for practice drift. Inconsistent use of a central line insertion checklist and nursing maintenance handoff tool and lack of frontline staff participation in a CLABSI committee were identified and targeted for modification & re-implementation in January 2021. To assess intervention effectiveness 2020 pre-implementation CLABSI rate and standardized infection ratio (SIR) (January – December) were compared to 2021 post-implementation CLABSI rate (January -September) and SIR using the exact binomial test and mid-p 95% confidence.ResultsDuring the pre-implementation period, there were 34 CLABSIs with a rate 0.745 CLABSIs per 1,000 central-line days and an SIR of 0.691. After implementation, 18 CLABSIs occurred with rate of 0.494 per 1,000 central-line days and SIR of 0.463. While not statistically significant this represented a 47.0% decrease in CLABSI events, a 33.7% decrease in rate (IDR p-value: 0.1583) and 33.0% decrease in SIR (two-tailed p-value: 0.1679, 95% Conf. Interval: 0.371 – 1.178) between the two periods.ConclusionsMultidisciplinary gap analysis identified practice drifts in use of evidence-based tools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Re-implementation of these modified tools and improved participation in the CLABSI committee lead to an approximate 33% reduction in CLABSI rate and SIR.

Abstract LB169: Assessing the facilitators and barriers of a novel cancer care delivery model adapted for the care coordination of LGBTQ+ cancer survivors

Abstract Background: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) individuals experience health disparities at disproportionate rates that drive reduced cancer screenings and late-stage cancer diagnoses. Community health centers play critical roles in providing primary care services to LGBTQ+ patients with cancer. Patients diagnosed with cancer and referred to specialty care outside health centers, however, often experience disruptions to their primary care services due to gaps in communication between primary and oncology care providers. The © 4R Oncology Model (Right Information and Right Care for the Right Patient at the Right Time) is a novel, patient-centric care coordination tool developed to facilitate cancer planning and serves as a longitudinal primary care checklist for use by patients and their care team. Our project aims to assess the facilitators and barriers of 4R as a component of primary and specialized care delivered to LGBTQ+ cancer survivors. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with patients and their caregivers (n =12) and stakeholders (n=12) to assess facilitators and barriers to 4R implementation as a component of care delivered to LGBTQ+ cancer survivors. Research team members deductively identified initial themes from interview transcripts. Preliminary coding schemes were compared among three team members and refined by inductive coding to produce a higher-level study codebook. With this codebook, team members ultimately utilized ATLAS.ti, a qualitative data analysis software, to independently analyze interview transcripts, with discrepancies in coding resolved through team-wide discussions. Results: Patients, their caregivers, and stakeholders agree that the 4R model shows potential for use as a first-step intervention to address primary care gaps caused by inadequate care coordination. Suggested improvements to the model include a reduction of textual information and an increased emphasis on mental and emotional support resources on the model’s sequence of care form. Conclusions: Interim findings indicate that a lack of adequate research on solutions to the disruption of primary care services caused by the initiation of cancer care for LGBTQ+ cancer survivors is a significant barrier for this patient population. The 4R Oncology Model thus shows promise as a solution for initiating and sustaining more continuous communication between primary care and cancer care delivery for LGBTQ+ cancer survivors. Continued analysis of study interviews will further elucidate facilitators and barriers to cancer care coordination for LGBTQ+ individuals, while further informing iterations to the 4R model for the development of a national protocol aimed at improving access to care and outcomes for LGBTQ+ individuals and other underserved groups. Citation Format: Nihmotallahi Adebayo, Will Dunne, Sankirtana Danner, Juan A. Rivera, Elena Molina, Abbey Ekong, Elizabeth Adetoro, Cori Blum, Cassandra Osei, Julia Trosman, Christine Weldon, Melissa Simon. Assessing the facilitators and barriers of a novel cancer care delivery model adapted for the care coordination of LGBTQ+ cancer survivors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr LB169.

Effectiveness of checklists in multidisciplinary rounds for improving patient safety in the pediatric intensive care unit: a systematic review protocol.

This review will evaluate the effectiveness of checklist use in multidisciplinary rounds, compared with multidisciplinary rounds without checklists, for improving mortality and patient safety in the pediatric intensive care unit. Single studies have demonstrated that checklists can potentially improve communication of care between health professionals, reduce adverse events, and increase adherence to best practice guidelines. However, no systematic review of the literature has explored the use of checklists in the pediatric intensive care unit. This review will consider studies that include pediatric patients, under 18 years of age, admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit. Identified studies will compare the use of checklists in multidisciplinary rounds with multidisciplinary rounds with no checklists. The studies will also evaluate mortality and patient safety outcomes. We will consider experimental and observational studies, published in any language, with no date restrictions. The search strategy will aim to locate both published and unpublished studies. Databases to be searched include MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, LILACS, Scopus, Embase, CINAHL, the Center for Reviews and Dissemination, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, and Epistemonikos. The studies will be screened and those meeting the inclusion criteria will be retained by two independent researchers. Assessment of methodology and data extraction will then be carried out. The data will be presented using a narrative synthesis and the studies will be pooled with a statistical meta-analysis, where possible. PROSPERO CRD42021233798.

Quality Evaluation of a Checklist for Intubation Preparation in Graduate Medical Education.

BackgroundRapid sequence intubation (RSI) is a multistep process that emergency physicians commonly perform. Unfortunately, there is little published in the graduate medical education literature regarding the use of checklists for RSI education.MethodsWe developed a pre-intubation checklist for RSI preparation and evaluated emergency medicine residents’ use of it. We developed the checklist using a three-round modified Delphi process among a group of emergency medicine faculty physicians within our institution. Over a three-year period, residents were randomized into two groups: a “checklist group” and a “without-checklist group.” Residents were then evaluated for RSI critical step completion in a simulated critically ill patient by two independent study investigators. Inter-rater reliability kappa scores were calculated. Following completion of the scenario, residents in both groups were asked to complete an anonymous survey. Both groups had access to the checklist at the time of the survey. The survey was used to determine if they found the checklist helpful. Odds ratios with p-values, at an alpha of 0.05 for significance, were computed for checklist items comparing the checklist and without-checklist groups. Data analysis was performed using SAS software (SAS, Cary, NC v 9.4). This study was approved by the authors’ Institutional Review Board.ResultsEach assessment was completed by two investigators. Inter-rater reliability was substantial (κ=0.79). Residents having access to the checklist were more likely to verbalize a critical step with a p-value of < 0.0001 and an odds ratio of 2.17 (95% CI: 1.48, 3.19). The checklist group normalized vital signs prior to intubation in 25/28 (89%, 95% CI: 72.81, 96.29) versus only 6/29 (21%, 95% CI: 9.85, 38.39) with a p-value of <0.0001 in the without-checklist group. The checklist group evaluated for difficult laryngoscopy 26/28 (93%, 95% CI: 77.36, 98.02) versus only 21/29 (72%, CI 95% 54.28, 85.30) with p=0.0223 in the without-checklist group. All of the surveyed residents indicated that the checklist would be helpful for future use in the ED.ConclusionThis RSI checklist improved adherence to preparatory steps of RSI. Utilizing a checklist increased evaluation for a difficult airway and normalizing vital signs. Residents found the checklist helpful for ED use.

Survey Study among Dentist in Bulgaria to Develop a Model for Risk Management in Dental Practice.

Background Quality control and risk management in the field of dental services is an important part of improving patient safety as well as that of the dentists. The introduction of a risk management model would simplify and facilitate this process. Aim The aim of the study is to gather information about the structurе and organization of work processes in Bulgarian dental practices, which will serve as a basis for building a risk management model. Material and Methods. A survey was conducted among randomly selected dental associations in Bulgaria-Plovdiv, Sofia, Varna, and Burgas through an anonymized questionnaire, containing 30 questions. The respondents meet the main criteria, namely, to be dentists and to practice in Bulgaria. The study includes demographic data, information on the attitude of Bulgarian dentists towards issues related to quality management, and safety and risk in respect to dental practice. The results have been processed and analyzed through descriptive and graphical analysis using the statistical program SPSS 20.0. Results A total of 103 Bulgarian dentists took part in the study, out of which 25.24% ± 4.28% have acquired a specialty. Women are 52.43% ± 4.92%, and men −47.57% ± 4.92%. The largest is the relative share of the respondents in the age range of 25-35 years −63.10% ± 4.75% and with work experience of 6-15 years −52.43% ± 4.92%. Most of the respondents do not define in writing the main tasks and activities −52.43% ± 4.92%, and do not use checklists in their practice -54.73%. The majority of the respondents do not hold regular meetings with their teams −50.49% ± 4.93%, as well as they do not conduct surveys among their patients −68.93% ± 4.56%. The majority of the respondents −41.75% ± 4.86% are guided by their personal judgment in respect to whether the written information provided to patients is comprehensible and accessible. The majority of dentists −45.63% ± 4.91% take informed consent only for expensive procedures in written and oral form −53.40% ± 4.92%. Out of all the respondents, 75.73% ± 4.22% have not analyzed the risk of slipping in their practices for the last two years. Conclusion There is a lack of written definition of the main tasks and processes, as well as no use of checklists in the practices of most of the interviewed dentists. Meetings with teams are held irregularly. There is a lack of surveys among patients, as well as no objective feedback from patients regarding the comprehensibility of the information materials provided. Informed consent is obtained from patients mainly in written and oral form and only for costly manipulations. In the practices of most of the interviewed dentists, there has been no assessment of the risk of slipping and falling for the last 2 years.

Quantitatively Evaluating the Impact of Eliminating Risk Assessment Checklists for Granting Leave in a Specialist Personality Disorder Ward

AimsSpringbank Ward, in the CPFT NHS trust, is a specialist unit for patients with a diagnosis of emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD). Psychiatric wards often use restrictive practices to try and minimise suicide risk. Using risk assessment checklists to decide whether to grant leave is one example. Research shows that it is not possible to predict suicide or self-harm risk at an individual level, regardless of the assessment method used, so we questioned the utility of such an approach. A previous evaluation of our leave protocol showed that patients and staff would favour a less restrictive and more personalised approach. We introduced a new protocol that eliminated use of checklists, replacing them with an optional 1:1 conversation with staff before leaving the ward. Our aim in this service evaluation was to determine whether there was any significant change in rates of incidents on the ward and during leave as a result of this new, less restrictive leave protocol.MethodsData were obtained from the records of incidents on Springbank ward from March 2019 to March 2021. These incidents were recorded by members of staff on the ward, and ranked according to the severity of harm that resulted from these incidents. The rankings from least severe to most severe recorded during the study were ‘No harm’, ‘Low (Minimal Harm)’, and ‘Moderate (Short term harm)’. The number of incidents which occurred for the year before and the year after the policy change were compared. The comparison compared both the total amount of incidents and the sub-types of incidents.ResultsIn the 365 days following the change in protocol, there was a 15.5% decrease in total incidents and a 51.0% decrease in incidents occurring off the ward compared to the 365 days before the change in protocol. Notably there was a 61% decrease in total (both on and off the ward) Moderate (Short term harm) incidents, the most harmful type of incident recorded, following the change in protocol.ConclusionThe decrease in incidents following the change in protocol suggests that replacing the use of a formal risk assessment checklist with a holistic alternative improves patient safety.