Background and Overview

The use of pre-flight checklists is a key element of airline safety when combined with the other approaches of Crew Resource Management (CRM). These approaches have contributed to making commercial aviation the safest form of transportation today.

• In aviation, checklists have become an essential part of monitoring activities during complex procedures.  They facilitate the routine systematizing of multi-step processes, improve team dynamics and minimize error.

• Checklists are used prior to all critical events such as engine start up, takeoff, descent and landing.  During these procedures, teams work together on the checklist and all must agree that it is safe to proceed. There is a shared responsibility for properly carrying out the procedure.

• If a fault is found, it must be corrected before proceeding with the remaining items on the checklist. This minimizes the possibility of misinterpreting or overlooking a critical step.

• Checklists provide a backup to human memory during routine and emergency procedures. They serve as a formal reminder, help prevent errors of omission and contribute to a safer environment.

Indelta’s Adaptation Of Checklists To Medicine

The success of CRM in commercial aviation has caught the attention of other high-risk industries, particularly healthcare.  In fact, the aviation industry is commonly recognized as a safety-related model for healthcare.

Recognizing this model, Indelta Learning Systems developed a course for healthcare called LESSONS from the FLIGHT DECK™.  This course is based on the aviation safety principles of CRM with an emphasis on the development and use of checklists as a part of Indelta’s Error Chain Management® system.

Our Unique Design (Sliderboards)

Indelta’s unique checklist design is a direct result of input from healthcare professionals and practitioners. This design consists of a plexi-glass board with a panel of sliders and a protective vinyl coating on the back. The slider panel corresponds to a customized process list. Each slider must be physically moved from red to green to complete the checklist and must be verified by two team members.  In addition, there is a section on the board for additional notes. The board comes ready to mount on a flat wall or door.

 

Customized To Your Needs

Customization is available by specific location and/or by application. Indelta
 works closely with the end user to assure that the content addresses site specific
 needs to help mitigate preventable errors.

Numerous Applications

Originally designed for perioperative application, the use of the checklist has expanded significantly.  Examples include a Central Line Checklist, Dialysis Access Checklist, Kidney Transplant Checklist and a Patient Room Checklist.

Documented Improvement In Error Prevention

Examples of “trapped” items caught through perioperative checklist use include: wrong pre-op meds, no consent, wrong consent, outdated H&P, missing EKG, heparin given when it should have been stopped, antibiotics not given, allergies not noted, no beta blocker when indicated and no prophylaxis. These trapped items would have resulted in medical errors had they not been caught by a checklist.

For further indication of error prevention through application of checklists in a CRM program, please contact Indelta and request a copy of the ASA abstract.

How To Order

For additional information on Indelta’s checklist/slider boards our program, LESSONS from the FLIGHT DECK™ or the ASA abstract, please contact us: