Implementation of the World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist Correlates with Reduced Surgical Mortality and Length of Hospital Admission in a High‐Income Country

Abstract

Implementation of the WHO SSC was associated with a statistically significant reduction in mortality and length of admission over a 5-year time period. This is the first study demonstrating a reduction in postoperative mortality after the implementation of the checklist in an Australian setting. In this study, a relatively longer period examined, comparative to previous international studies, may have allowed factors like surgical culture change to take effect.