International Journal of Research Foundation of Hospital and Healthcare Administration

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VOLUME 8 , ISSUE 1 ( January-June, 2020 ) > List of Articles

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Streamlining the Process of Communicating and Reporting of Hospital Operations by Using Checklists as a Quality Improvement Tool: An Experience of Designing and Implementation at a Large Multispeciality Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

Sathish Raju Nilakantam, Melanahalli Dayananda, Jayati Bahuguna

Keywords : Checklists, Healthcare, Implementation, Quality improvement

Citation Information : Nilakantam SR, Dayananda M, Bahuguna J. Streamlining the Process of Communicating and Reporting of Hospital Operations by Using Checklists as a Quality Improvement Tool: An Experience of Designing and Implementation at a Large Multispeciality Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital. Int J Res Foundation Hosp Healthc Adm 2020; 8 (1):24-31.

DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10035-1119

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Published Online: 14-09-2023

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2020; The Author(s).


Abstract

Introduction: Checklists used in hospitals and healthcare organizations can promote process improvements and increase hospital, employee, and patient safety and can be implemented anywhere in the hospital, whether it is to show adherence to a protocol or to ensure that a certain set of duties are being completed daily. Even with the apparently quick acceptance and dissemination of the checklists, there are limited researches depicting the definite methods of creating and implementing such tools in health care. Aim: The aim of this study is to explore the experiences from checklist development and implementation in a group of three vital departments of the hospital—Medical Records Department, Central Sterile Supplies Department, and Department of Nursing Services. Materials and methods: Execution of customized version of checklists in the three following departments was planned, i.e., Medical Records Department, Central Sterile Supplies Department, and Department of Nursing Services, and after ensuring the changes made after pilot testing were valid, training programs for all the staffs of those three departments was planned, and the checklists were implemented using Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle. Conclusion: Checklists development involves a comprehensive, efficient and systematic approach, especially when implemented in high intensity fields for example the medical field. The checklists will help hospitals and healthcare systems in their endeavors to prevent and lessen preventable errors, which are the ultimate objectives of any healthcare organization.


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