Checklists and Reminders Improve Management of Hospital Patients
Patients are the winners when daily checklists and reminders are included in patient medical records, according to the results of a study published in the current issue of the Medical Journal of Australia.
The study, conducted at Wimmera Base Hospital in Horsham, Victoria, included 116 patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction and 123 patients admitted with stroke. The results showed that significant improvement in the quality of patient care can be achieved by incorporating checklists and reminders into clinical pathways.
The authors of the study, Alan Wolff, Sally Taylor and Janette McCabe of the Wimmera Health Care Group, say that systems used for the delivery of healthcare are complex and errors are common. However, errors can be reduced when checklists and reminders are used within clinical pathways to prompt appropriate patient management. This type of systems approach may not be useful in all circumstances, but could be used selectively to manage patients with common medical conditions.
The authors say the success of the program relied on an established clinical risk management culture in the hospital and adequate funding to appoint a senior nurse to coordinate the program. Teamwork and communication between health professionals from different clinical disciplines were also important.
Support for the program by hospital management, and provision of regular feedback of results to all clinical staff and relevant hospital committees, further contributed to the success of the program.
The authors propose that the clinical pathways developed and used in their study could be computerised for use with Palm Pilot (hand-held computer) technology. Pathways could also be expanded across the continuum of care and could include protocols for managing patients in primary care.
CONTACT Dr Alan WOLFF 0409 383 510 / 03 5381 9111
Judith TOKLEY, AMA Public Affairs, 0408 824 306 / 02 6270 5471