Feasibility and Design of an Electronic Surgical Safety Checklist in a Teaching Hospital: A User-Based Approach

Background: The Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) is routinely used in operating rooms (OR) but its acceptance is low. One promising way to improve acceptance of the SSC and thus quality of patient care is digitalization. Objective: To investigate how a digitalization of the SSC could be implemented in a teaching hospital. Based on the identified user requirements we designed a first user interface (UI). Method: We performed a literature review, identified user perceptions and requirements during 12 interviews including a standardized questionnaire in surgical departments at the University Hospital Graz (Austria). Subsequently a first prototype of a UI was designed. Results: Seven different approaches for digital SSC were identified in literature. Our interviews showed that 90% of the participants had a positive attitude towards a digitalization of SSC. The most favoured version of a digitalized SSC was a tablet-based client-server system with integration in the EHR and projection on an OR monitor. Conclusion: Digitalization of the SSC is requested by medical and nursing personnel. Based on the identified user requirements we designed a process oriented UI of a digital SSC.