4 ms·

Highly recommend reading Atul Gawande's "Checklist Manifesto" [0] if you are interested in the operational results of adding something like checklists to medica

Highly recommend reading Atul Gawande's "Checklist Manifesto" [0] if you are interested in the operational results of adding something like checklists to medical care. Case in point: requiring everyone in the operating room to say their name, specialty and reason for the operation (and their part in it). You might ask why the above is necessary? Well: - everyone is wearing a mask, cap and possibly glasses which makes them hard to recognize - the patient is often draped in such a way that you can't tell who they are - many Operating Rooms(ORs) look the same - there are apparently COUNTLESS stories of medical personnel going into the wrong OR and not realizing until the surgery has started Another fascinating point about checklists since the OP article mentions doctors vs nurses: checklists give nurses the power to challenge doctors. e.g. "Dr, I believe the next step on the checklist we agreed on is to do X". If you have no checklist, the Dr can just say "No, we don't need that, I know what I'm doing. Shut up, Nurse!" (this is a real example from the book btw). He also has an article comparing the Cheesecake Factory to health care that I also highly recommend [1] 0 - https://amzn.to/3KyLK1x https://amzn.to/3KyLK1x 1 - https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/08/13/big-med https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/08/13/big-med

Rendello 11mo ago
This reminds me of an article I read [1] where a surgeon, deciding his skills had room for improvement and lives could be bettered by honing those skills, had a retired surgeon come in occasionally and coach him. The external perspective and quick feedback improved his confidence and outcomes, and he convincingly advocated that practice. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/10/03/personal-best https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/10/03/personal-best
- cryzinger 11mo ago
  That's also by Gawande! (And a great article, too.) If you liked that, here's my own recommendation for something he's written: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/08/02/letting-go-2 https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/08/02/letting-go-2
seanhunter 11mo ago
Another similar example of process excellence in healthcare from personal experience: I had to have two shoulder surgeries (one on each side) a couple of years apart after ultrasound-guided injections into the joints didn’t really fix the underlying problem. In both cases I used the same surgeon[1] and both times on the day of the surgery (in spite of having been involved in my care for months so she definitely knew) she asked me again which shoulder was affected and immediately rolled up my sleeve and drew an arrow on the arm in question in black marker pen. Why? Well she definitely didn’t want to ever make the mistake of operating on the wrong arm, and if I’m anaethsetised it’s not like she couldn ask me while the procedure was underway. [1] Susan Alexander- She’s absolutely amazing. If you have shoulder problems and live in the UK I would strongly recommend.
- IAmBroom 11mo ago
  That's pretty standard in US hospitals, AFAIK. And a really good idea.

Rendello 11mo ago

This reminds me of an article I read [1] where a surgeon, deciding his skills had room for improvement and lives could be bettered by honing those skills, had a retired surgeon come in occasionally and coach him. The external perspective and quick feedback improved his confidence and outcomes, and he convincingly advocated that practice. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/10/03/personal-best https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/10/03/personal-best

cryzinger 11mo ago
That's also by Gawande! (And a great article, too.) If you liked that, here's my own recommendation for something he's written: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/08/02/letting-go-2 https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/08/02/letting-go-2

seanhunter 11mo ago

Another similar example of process excellence in healthcare from personal experience: I had to have two shoulder surgeries (one on each side) a couple of years apart after ultrasound-guided injections into the joints didn’t really fix the underlying problem. In both cases I used the same surgeon[1] and both times on the day of the surgery (in spite of having been involved in my care for months so she definitely knew) she asked me again which shoulder was affected and immediately rolled up my sleeve and drew an arrow on the arm in question in black marker pen. Why? Well she definitely didn’t want to ever make the mistake of operating on the wrong arm, and if I’m anaethsetised it’s not like she couldn ask me while the procedure was underway. [1] Susan Alexander- She’s absolutely amazing. If you have shoulder problems and live in the UK I would strongly recommend.

IAmBroom 11mo ago
That's pretty standard in US hospitals, AFAIK. And a really good idea.