The WHO surgical safety checklist is a useful tool for decreasing the number of adverse events in hospitals, but its implementation is still a challenge. This study aimed to assess adherence to the checklist in urological and gynecological surgeries at two teaching hospitals in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. A cross-sectional observational design was used, elective surgeries were selected, and data were collected from medical charts. Adherence was based on the quality and proper completion of the checklist, and the association of structural and socio-professional factors was analyzed using multiple regression. Of the 375 surgeries reviewed, 61% included a checklist and 4% were correctly filled out. The existence of a checklist was associated with gynecological surgeries (OR = 130.18) and longer operating time (OR = 2.13), while quality of the checklist was related to urological surgeries (β = 26.36). Adherence to the checklist needs to be improved, and the observed differences suggest the influence of distinct implementation strategies at the two institutions.
Checklist; Patient Safety; Operative Surgical Procedures
