title: WHO Surgical Safety Checklist in otorhinolaryngology-head and neck surgery: specialty-related aspects of check items.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  The WHO surgical checklist is well suited to otorhinolaryngology-head and neck surgery (ORL-HNS) and the users are satisfied with its content.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Use of the checklist will improve safety in operating rooms (ORs). The checklist has been taken into use in ORL-HNS, and preliminary experiences are promising. However, the checklist must be specific to the specialty in which it is used. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of the check items for ORL-HNS operations, with special reference to outpatient surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  The questionnaire study for the OR personnel was conducted at a tertiary academic hospital. Every item on the WHO checklist was evaluated and responders could provide freehand comments on the subject.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 101 responses were received from OR staff; the response rate was 95.3%. The users were mainly satisfied with the checklist's content for ORL-HNS operations. Mean scores of the importance of check items varied from 4.08 to 4.89 on a five-point scale. The item 'Allergy' had the highest score and 'Team members introduced' the lowest. A need to modify the checklist for in-hospital patients did not emerge. However, a more compact checklist for outpatient surgery carried out under local anaesthesia was suggested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland. pamais@utu.fi
authors.forename: Päivi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Helmiö
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takala
authors.forename: Leena-Maija
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Aaltonen
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Blomgren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D057189:Checklist; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013517:Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures / Q000592:standards*; D061214:Patient Safety; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014944:World Health Organization