[Design of a checklist for interventional radiology]

Abstract

Avoidable adverse events must be subjected to continuous control to be detected at the time and prevent their occurrence. Its knowledge is essential to prevent them and their consequences and any effective action on the matter of risk management and health safety must be taken into account. Surgical checklists fulfil these requirements, making patient care easier and opening the possibility of effective communication with the group and with the patient. Checklists help in the detection and prevention of avoidable events, providing safety for the patient as well as to the interventional team, and provide continuity of patient care outside the operating room. The objective of this work is to describe the design of a specific checklist for interventional radiology patients, as an essential tool to contribute to safety in the procedure. In the preparation of this checklist, a review was made of other surgical checklists of reference, as well as the recommendations for producing one and the justification of its need in all interventional procedures of risk. A simple checklist has been designed, which is adaptable to the specific characteristics of interventional radiology. Nursing staff are the key professionals on the design and implementation helping to identify those conditions that may threaten the success of the intervention.