Thursday, January 22, 2009

Last one, I promise


One last item on the Gawande paper. And this really happened. I had a patient come in for an elective outpatient laparoscopic cholecystectomy this week. In the pre-op holding area, right before being wheeled back to the OR suite she informed me that her best friend insisted that she ask "if I followed the checklist that she had read about when doing surgery". Of course, I assured her. I told her about time-outs and sponge counts and how we've been doing it for years. She was suitably impressed. But I think I'll need some sort of assistance remembering an extended checklist like the one Dr Gawande proposes. Perhaps one of those laminated wrist band play book thingies that you see back up and rookie QB's wearing when they have to come into a game. Sterile, of course.......

2 comments:

Joseph Sucher, MD FACS said...

I can't resist....

But it's well known that it was patient demand that drove the laparoscopic revolution. Maybe patient demand will drive the checklist.

I prefer that we do. Ultimately that will make all of our lives better.

Jeffrey Parks MD FACS said...

Sucher-
I agree...