Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2017 Aug;217(2):B2-B6.
doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2017.05.032. Epub 2017 May 23.

The development and implementation of checklists in obstetrics

Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM); Peter S Bernstein, C Andrew Combs, Laurence E Shields, Steven L Clark, Catherine S Eppes; SMFM Patient Safety and Quality Committee

The development and implementation of checklists in obstetrics

Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) et al. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2017 Aug.

Abstract

Checklists have been long used as a cognitive aid in various high-stakes environments to improve the reliability and performance of individuals and teams. When designed well, implemented thoughtfully, and monitored closely, they offer the opportunity to improve the performance of health care teams and advance patient safety. There are different types of checklists; examples include task lists, troubleshooting lists, coordination lists, discipline lists, and to-do lists. Each is useful in different situations and requires different implementation strategies. Checklists also are different from algorithms, care maps and protocols, and educational tools. Therefore, they are not useful in all situations. In appropriate selected clinical circumstances, checklists are tools that can help standardize care, improve communication, and help teams perform optimally.

Keywords: checklists; patient safety; standardize care.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles