Knowledge, Attitude, Practice and Implementation of World Health Organisation Surgical Safety Checklist among the Health Care Professionals in Teaching Hospital Ratnapura, Sri Lanka

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the medical community's knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour regarding the World Health Organization (WHO) surgical safety checklist (SSC), as well as the SSC's current state of implementation at Teaching Hospital Ratnapura (THR), Sri Lanka. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among the health care professionals of THR in general surgical wards, gynaecology and obstetrics wards and operation theatres (n=103) with the use of questionnaires to assess the attitude and knowledge. 223-bed head tickets (BHT) records related to the surgeries done from August 2021 to September 2022 were collected and analysed to assess the implementation status. The results showed that all nurses and 95.91% of doctors have heard about SSC. A majority (94.2%, n=97) of the participants were aware that the SSC was developed to be implemented globally. In general, 78% (n=81) of healthcare workers use WHO SSC in all kinds of surgeries. Less than half (44.7%) of healthcare professionals had experienced a complication that may have been avoided if the WHO SSC had been properly implemented. The majority (99%, n=102) believe that the checklist should be used in every surgical procedure. The working category of THR had a significant association (P value < 0.05) with their attitude on performing SSC. Time constraints (55.4%, n=36), lack of training and knowledge (31.7%, n=21), and overwork (54.00% n= 36) were identified as the key challenges to SSC implementation, highlighting the need for a proper introduction and thorough training to the procedure. Even though the BHTs audit had shown zero adoption during the study period, participants had fairly good knowledge and attitudes regarding the proper implementation of SSC.