Gawande does an incredible job on describing how there are
thousands of steps to complete in the intensive care unit. These steps are not
only the ones needed to save the patient but also to keep them stable for the
time that they are held in ICU.
As Gawande says most actions taken in the ICU consist of
brushing the patients teeth to prevent bacterial buildup, turning them in bed
so that pressure ulcers don't form and many more daily routines that will not
even come to mind when thought of. Along with the huge responsibility of being
a doctor, a nurse, a surgeon how can people go by doing all of these steps
without skipping one or making a tiny mistake? That is where the checklist
steps in.
The checklist has proven to reduce the errors made in
medicine. But as most of you have highlighted this is sometimes a matter of ego
and self-confidence for doctors. Having been going through the same processes
for years and years can make some doctors reluctant in wanting to use the
checklist. But I think that no matter how good a doctor is or how many years he
has trained, they have the chance to make mistakes every once in a while. So,
to minimize the damage that might be done to the patient, the checklist should
be used.
I definitely agree that checklists have their place in medicine. When talking about diagnosis or trauma, I believe that checklists are ineffective and can sometimes lead to misdiagnosis. However, as Gawande shows us, the many seemingly small acts a doctor must take, especially post-operative, to ensure a patients survival are made easier with the implementation of a comprehensive checklist. Doctors who are reluctant simply because of their ego, because they think their years of experience prevent them from making small mistakes, are being very irresponsible. Patient care should not be compromised for this reason.
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