Association between use of the world health organization surgical safety checklist in operating rooms at Kenyatta National Hospital and clinicians' and institutional related factors

Abstract

Background: The adoption and usage of the World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) has been associated with reduced postoperative morbidly and mortality rates in different healthcare institutions. In this study, association between clinicians’ and institutional related factors and use of SSC was evaluated.

Objective: Assess association between use of SSC in operating rooms and clinicians' and institutional related factors.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the operating theatres at Kenyatta National Hospital. The study recruited 178 consented clinicians who use SSC and excluded those on leave based on multi-stage sampling technique and Yamane’s formulae. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data and observations of 42 procedures. Descriptive and inferential statistics was processed using IBM SPSS version 20.

Findings: About 95% of respondents confirmed use of SCC, however, out of 42 surgeries observed in the operating rooms, use of SSC ranged from 83.7% to 17.4%. Chi-square/Fisher’s exact test results affirmed that some clinical practices conducted by the study participants in the operating theatres which were significantly related to clinicians’ and institutional related factors as their p values were below 0.05, while others demonstrated insignificant association.

Conclusion: The study concluded that institutional and clinicians’ related factors influenced use of SSC, and addressing gaps identified will improve and better surgical outcomes for the studied institution.