Surgical checklist to save lives

A Clemson researcher has been selected to take part in a forum next week to discuss quality improvement programs in U-S hospitals that reduce preventable re-admissions, prevent medical errors, improve patient outcomes and cut costs. Ashley Kay Childers, a research assistant professor, is a member of the South Carolina Hospital Association Quality and Patient Safety team. She’ll participate Tuesday in Columbia at an American College of Surgeons’ Surgical Health Care Quality Forum. The effective use of a checklist can help transform organizational culture and improve patient safety in the operating room. Over the last three years, Childers has been traveling to hospitals across South Carolina to learn more about how checklists are being implemented in different operating rooms.