Blue Surgical Safety ChecklistSM
As a patient, you have every right to expect safe and effective care.
However, the methods used to ensure patient safety during surgical procedures sometimes vary from hospital to hospital. That is why many Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies are encouraging hospitals to adopt the Blue Surgical Safety ChecklistSM ("Checklist"), a one-page tool that itemizes essential safety steps that surgical teams should perform at three key stages of surgery.
Like you, we want hospitals and physicians to adhere to proven standards of care that improve surgical results and decrease risk to patients. So, in addition to sharing this Checklist with hospitals and physicians to encourage its use, we are also sharing it with Blue members in hopes that they will discuss its use with their healthcare team prior to surgery. This proactive, open discussion can help members to receive the highest standard of care and safety from their providers, and eliminate avoidable complications.
Enlarge Checklist
Download a PDF of the Checklist
This Checklist, adopted from the World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist, consists of 19 steps designed to reduce avoidable complications and deaths that often stem from poor communication among members of the surgical team. And, research from The New England Journal of Medicine indicates that when used properly, the Checklist is effective.
