Government says data collection around checklists violates patient privacy
Patient Safety Monitor Alert
January 9, 2008
The U.S. government has revoked funding for a program studying the effectiveness of checklists to stop hospital infections, reports the New York Times in an op-ed piece. The government reasoned that without notifying the patient that data was being gathered about his or her care, the program was illegal. The writer argues that instituting the use of checklists has saved 1,500 lives and $200 million during the course of 18 months in a Michigan ICU. The checklists focused on ways to prevent infection and contained items such as hand washing and putting on sterile gowns and gloves prior to putting intravenous lines in a patient.The author says that such research around the use of checklists is vital in the world of healthcare today. In fact, many respected organizations use checklists to remind would-be users that there are basic steps to take, especially in the administration of healthcare.
To read the full op-ed piece, click here.
