Hawker et al: Attitudes towards surgical safety checklists among American College of Veterinary Surgeons diplomates
Veterinary Surgery 5, 2024

🔍 Key Findings

• 67.9% of respondents reported using SSCs, with most indicating frequent use (64% used in every surgery).
• 78.7% agreed SSCs reduce complications, and 89.6% believed SSCs improve communication.
• Respondents not using SSCs were more likely to view them as a waste of time (p < .001).
• Forgetfulness (39.6%) and time constraints (36.5%) were leading reasons for checklist noncompletion.
• Only 23.3% had SSC training during surgical residency, with newer diplomates more likely to have had exposure (p < .001).
• Key strategies to improve uptake included: staff feedback modifications (67.9%), formal designation of initiator (48.6%), and training (52.2%).
• Surgeons and OR staff were most commonly identified as noncompliant team members.
• SSC use was more frequent in small animal practices, and mandating SSCs by management was favored but not always effective alone.