Cross‐sectional survey of the development and use of surgical safety checklists in small animal referral hospitals

Abstract

Abstract Background There is limited information on the type and development process of surgical safety checklists (SSCs) in UK small animal referral practices. Methods An anonymous questionnaire was distributed to veterinary surgeons, registered veterinary nurses and paraprofessionals in 17 small animal private referral hospitals across the UK. SSCs were requested for analysis. A descriptive analysis of questionnaire responses was performed. SSCs were compared with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Knowledge checklists. Results The response rate was 82% (14/17). All hospitals used an SSC, with 86% (12/14) believing it improved patient safety. Most SSCs (57%) were developed ‘from scratch’, while 43% were adapted from pre‐existing templates, with WHO SSC as the only referenced template. Five of 14 (36%) hospitals had a designated SSC champion. Eight of 14 (57%) respondents could describe SSC development. Out of 14 hospitals, seven (50%) regularly reviewed and updated their SSC and two (14%) performed staff training sessions. SSCs were available for review from 13 of 14 (93%) hospitals. The median number of sections was 3 (range 3‒5), and the median number of items was 30 (range 20‒42). Eleven of 13 SSCs (85%) included non‐killer items (not relating to patient safety). Limitations Limitations include small sample size and hospitals belonging to the same network. Conclusions SSCs are widely used in UK small animal referral hospitals. However, there was considerable variability and inconsistency in their development and use.