Checklists in Clinical Practice; Revisited

“Checklists turn out.. to be among the basic tools of the quality and productivity revolution in aviation, engineering, construction – in virtually every field combining high risk and complexity. Checklists seem lowly and simplistic, but they help fill in for the gaps in our brains and between our brains.” –  Atul Gawande, The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right

In a previous blog post last year, I talked about what I believe to be an important driver for clinical excellence; the use of systematized checklists. In that post, I highlighted the main idea behind checklists and how they can help in the systematic and consistent application of clinical workflows in a precise and reproducible manner, ultimately increasing clinical efficiency and improving the quality of patient care.

That post generated many requests and inquiries from colleagues around the world asking for a follow-up post with further examples of checklists. In today’s blog post, I would like to introduce a few more checklist examples I personally implement in my practice for different parts of my clinical workflow, while explaining my rationale behind them.

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The Disappearance of Excellence: One Orthodontist’s Opinion.

A Guest Blog Post by Prof. Arnold J. Malerman  DDS;  Clinical Professor of Orthodontics at the University of Pennsylvania.

 

“The difference between a good Orthodontist and a great Orthodontist is attention to detail.” ~ Brainerd F. Swain, DDS

Today marks the start of an interesting series of Guest Blog Posts by prominent figures and authorities in the orthodontic community from around the world, who have graciously agreed to share their personal viewpoints regarding some important issues related to the orthodontic profession, here on The Orthodontic Notefile. The aim of these guest blog posts is to raise awareness and start a wider discussion of varying points of view regarding many debatable issues facing the orthodontic profession today, therefore your participation in the discussion in the comments section below is highly encouraged and welcome.

In the first of these guest posts, Professor Arnold J. Malerman; Clinical Professor of Orthodontics at the University of Pennsylvania, shares with us his personal opinion regarding what he believes to be three major issues facing orthodontists in the 21st century.

Continue reading “The Disappearance of Excellence: One Orthodontist’s Opinion.”

Checklists in Clinical Practice: A Simple Driver for Excellence

“Checklists seem able to defend anyone, even the experienced, against failure in many more tasks than we realized.”

Atul Gawande, The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right

What Do We Mean By A Checklist?

As per the definition of Hales et al;  A checklist is an organized tool that outlines criteria of consideration for a particular process. It functions as a support resource by delineating and categorizing items as a list—a format that simplifies conceptualization and recall of information.

Continue reading “Checklists in Clinical Practice: A Simple Driver for Excellence”