Implementation of a checklist-based quality improvement intervention did not affect rates of adverse surgical outcomes among patients undergoing general surgery, according to a study published in JAMA Surgery.
The study's goal was to evaluate a checklist-based quality improvement intervention — Keystone Surgery — at hospitals in Michigan. The retrospective longitudinal study examined surgical outcomes in 64,891 Michigan patients in 29 hospitals.
The study found that implementation of Keystone Surgery in 14 participating centers was not associated with improvements in surgical outcomes. Rates of superficial surgical site infection, wound complication, any complication and 30-day mortality at participating hospitals were similar before and after implementation.