These results are not surprising. If I make a list before I go to the grocery store and double check that list with my husband, then I am going to get what I need and am not likely to buy something I don't. Of course I may stumble across something else while I am there, but a list ups the odds of getting it right the first time without complications (ie forgetting a neccesary item, for example.) If a list can make surgery safer for everyone, then I would sign off on this change in procedure.

To me this is pure commansense

Its crazy it took so long to get people to create standard procedures for complicated things like surgery. I build computer systems and when I want my clients to create a standard operating procedure as part of a process, I have had people tell me "its too complicated to write down."

What?

 the finest Va hospital is in Houston, they use a Baylor University checklist, I  had spine surgery lasted 7 hrs 5 mins Chief of Staff Dr. Bruce Enhi, 9 hrs after surgery my sister drove me 200 miles to my house, I've been back one time in 2 years the govt. should spend a few bucks to see how they run things and follow suit, Vets are treated as citizens here not like all the other VA Hospitals and I've been to a few especially Louisiana 

complicated thing is about 500-600 people and their friends getting rich off the working people thats complicated, cut their pay in half let them work for a raise

I only hope the VA in my area is one of the hospitals that does the checklist. The problem about arrogant MD's is endemic. Med schools need to address this in a more pro-active way. The surgical 'team' is what it states- A TEAM working together for the best result for the patient.

for msnbc to print this they haven't been to any VA Hospitals, they hire people from Walmart, Target they don't have a clue whats going on how can you expect the MD's to do their job, the Dr.s only do whats handed to them, I've been in VA hospitals from Calif to Louisiana the best is always run by a private firm (College-Universities

Having a checklist and confirming that everyone involved is in agreement as to what is going on only makes sense and this isn't the first study to broach this topic. I'm just surprised that there are so many places that still don't follow this.

I had knee surgery 11 years ago and another one 9 years ago and in both cases both the surgeon and anesthesiologist met with me prior to going into surgery to verify I was the correct patient and confirming the site and type of surgery. Then they each initialed the surgical site so as to have a visual reminder once surgery had begun. My second knee surgery involved both knees and was unusual enough that the anesthesiologist brought both the surgeon and the head nurse for the shift over so they could all confer together with me to make sure everyone knew that the procedure would be a little different from the norm (the nurse was there to ensure that the post-surgical staff were aware of what was going on). In both cases I was able to go in knowing that I was being well cared for by competent professionals who took their work seriously. The fact that this still isn’t standard practice everywhere is unfathomable.

As a patient, the checklist procedure was empowering and reassuring.

Too many doctors think they are God. I had a primary who after repairing(all he did was clean & bandage it) a finger that I had a flap of skin from a piece of broken glass say as he walked out of the exam room, "you could still lose it". I was so stunned from that and didn't have the opportunity to talk to him further because he was already in another room with another patient. His front desk staff said I could not speak to him again that day. It would require another visit. Obviously, I found myself another primary.

Many doctors seem to forget the Hippocratic oath they took when the got that "MD" after their name. Hippocrates also said,
"the doctor is the servant of the patient, not the master".

I think they (Dr's.) need to have regular reviews of their "bedside manner" and their ethics.

Lots of hospitals have been doing this for at least a decade or more. I had gallbladder surgery in 1997 and there was a checklist then.

So the government finally figures out a decade later this is a good thing. And people want the government taking over their health care?

It is a good idea that every hospital should practice, especially the VA, but what about the surgeries they perform that cause severe unneccessary physical damage to someone. The patient is alive but now anable to perform their daily life skills as they did because of either error in judgement in the OR or lack of preparedness. Where does the checklist fit in then? I feel there should be a check list on the surgical staff as well as the supplies and the equipment.

Where are all of the Right Wing naysayers and Tea Party advocates now? Nothing derogatory to say about the government run VA Hospitals. Bunch of hate mongering bozos'.

Living in RI, hopefully Rhode Island Hospital and other RI hospitals will also impliment better surgical preceedures. As seen in the news there are all too many wrong site operations and negligence in and out of the operating room, most of which are preventable.