Attitudes and barriers to the use of the World Health Organisation’s surgical safety checklist at a specialized academic hospital in the Western Cape, South Africa

Date
2023-03
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
The Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) of the World Health Organization (WHO) has been developed and adopted by the surgical fraternity worldwide to reduce patient mortality and morbidity in surgical operating rooms (ORs). Further to this, the SSC has been implemented in ORs to enhance communication and teamwork among the OR team members. The aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes and barriers to the WHO’s SSC in a specialised tertiary academic hospital in the Western Cape, South Africa. The degree of impact of the SCC on teamwork and safety, the support rendered by all categories of OR personnel in compliance with the SSC, the initiation of the SSC by all the OR personnel, and the barriers to the use of the SSC where investigated. The Donabedian Structure-, Process- and Outcome models underpinned the study. A self-administered online survey published by O’Connor et al (2013:2) was used to collect data with a six-point Likert scale. English, Afrikaans, and Xhosa versions were provided. The respondents’ demographics were included. The OR personnel employed in all the ORs of the hospital were requested to participate, namely the surgeons, the anaesthetists, the professional registered nurses, the OR trainee professional nurses, the registered enrolled nurses, the registered enrolled nurse assistants, the radiographers, and the cardiac-bypass technicians (N=111). Data was collected over four weeks. The response rate was (N=61). Ethical approval was obtained from the Health Research Ethics Committee of the University of Stellenbosch (Ref: S21/08/150) and the ethical research departments of the Western Cape Department of Health (Ref: WC_202110_034) and the hospital in which the study was conducted. Prof T. Esterhuizen (Stellenbosch University’s Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics) was consulted for guidance on the analysis using IBM Statistical Product and Services Solutions (SPSS28©). Descriptive and inferential statistics were computed from the raw data and are presented in tables. The research findings found that compliance with the phases of the SSC is inconsistently implemented. It is recommended that this be remedied to enhance patient safety and to promote OR team cohesion.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Wereldgesondheidsorganisasie (WGO) se chirurgiese veiligheidskontrolelys is ontwikkel en aangeneem deur chirurgiese personeellede wereldwyd om pasientsterftes en -morbiditeite in chirurgiese operasiekamers (OKs) te verminder. Verder is die chirurgiese veiligheidskontrolelys in OKs geimplementeer om kommunikasie en spanwerk tussen die OKs se spanlede te verbeter. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die houdings teenoor en hindernisse tot die Wereldgesondheidsorganisasie se chirurgiese veiligheidskontrolelys in ʼn gespesialiseerde tersiere akademiese hospitaal in die Wes-Kaap, Suid-Afrika, te ondersoek. Die mate van impak van die chirurgiese veiligheidskontrolelys op spanwerk en veiligheid, die ondersteuning gelewer deur alle kategoriee van operasiekamer-personeel in ooreenstemming met die chirurgiese veiligheidskontrolelys, die inisiering van die chirurgiese veiligheidskontrolelys deur al die operasiekamer-personeel, en die hindernisse tot die gebruik van die chirurgiese veiligheidskontrolelys was ondersoek. Die Donabediese struktuur, proses en uitkoms- model het hierdie studie ondersteun. ’n Selfgeadministreerde aanlyn opname wat deur O’Connor et al (2013:2) gepubliseer is, is gebruik om data deur ’n sespunt-Likert-skaal in te samel. Engelse, Afrikaanse en Xhosa-weergawes is verskaf. Die respondente se demografie is ook ingesluit. Die operasiekamerpersoneel wat in die hospitaal aan diens was, is versoek om deel te neem, naamlik die chirurge, die narkotiseurs, die professionele geregistreerde verpleegkundiges, die opgeleide professionele verpleegkundiges, die geregistreerde ingeskrewe verpleegkundiges, die geregistreerde ingeskrewe verpleegassistente, die radiograwe en die hartomleidingstegnici (N=111). Data is oor vier weke ingesamel. Die responskoers was (N=61). Etiese goedkeuring is verkry van die Universiteit Stellenbosch se Gesondheids-navorsing-etiekkomitee en die etiesenavorsings-departemente van die Wes-Kaapse Departement van Gesondheid en die hospitaal waarin die studie uitgevoer is. Prof T. Esterhuizen (van die Universiteit Stellenbosch se Departement van Epidemiologie en Biostatistiek) is genader en geraadpleeg vir leiding oor die ontleding van die data deur gebruik te maak van IBM Statistical Product and Services Solutions (SPSS28©). Beskrywende en inferensiele statistiek is uit die rou data bereken en in tabelle en grafieke aangebied. Die navorsing se bevindings toon aan dat voldoening aan die fases van die chirurgiese veiligheidskontrolelys inkonsekwent geimplementeer word. Daar word aanbeveel dat dit reggestel word ten einde pasientveiligheid te verbeter en om operasiekamer-spansamehorigheid te bevorder.
Description
Thesis (MNur)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.
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