CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Endosc Int Open 2021; 09(03): E453-E460
DOI: 10.1055/a-1336-3464
Review

Checklist feasibility and impact in gastrointestinal endoscopy: a systematic review and narrative synthesis

Véronique Bitar
1   Division of Internal Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
,
Myriam Martel
2   Division of Gastroenterology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
,
Sophie Restellini
2   Division of Gastroenterology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
3   Division of Gastroenterology, Geneva University Hospital and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
,
Alan Barkun
2   Division of Gastroenterology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
,
Omar Kherad
4   Department of Internal Medicine, La Tour Hospital and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Background and study aim Checklists prevent errors and have a positive impact on patient morbidity and mortality in surgical settings. Despite increasing use of checklists in gastrointestinal endoscopy units across many countries, a summary of cumulated experience is lacking. The aim of this study was to identify and evaluate the feasibility of successful checklist implementation in gastrointestinal endoscopy units and summarise the evidence of its impact on the commitment in safety culture.

Methods A comprehensive literature search was performed identifying the use of a checklist or time-out in endoscopy units from 1978 to January 2020 using OVID MEDLINE, EMBASE, and ISI Web of Knowledge databases, with search terms related to checklist and endoscopy. We summarised overall adherence to checklists from included studies through a narrative synthesis, characterizing barriers and facilitators according to nurse and physician perspectives, while also summarizing safety endpoints.

Results The seven studies selected from 673 screened citations were highly heterogeneous in terms of methodology, context, and outcomes. Across five of these, checklist adherence rates post-intervention varied for both nurses (84 % to 96 %) and physicians (66 % to 95 %). Various facilitators (education, continued reassessment) and barriers (lack of safety culture, checklist completion time) were identified. Most studies did not report associations between checklist implementation and clinical outcomes, except for better team communication.

Conclusion Implementation of a gastrointestinal endoscopy checklist is feasible, with an understanding of relevant barriers and facilitators. Apart from a significant increase in the perception of team communication, evidence for a measurable impact attributable to gastrointestinal checklist implementation on endoscopic processes and safety outcomes is limited and warrants further study.

Supplementary material



Publication History

Received: 02 October 2020

Accepted: 28 October 2020

Article published online:
19 February 2021

© 2021. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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