One of the best books I have read in recent year’s was Atul Gawande’s “Better” – a book which I found both useful and inspiring. Consequently, as soon as I saw that Gawande had written a new book “The Checklist Manifesto” I rushed to get hold of a copy and moved it up to the top of pile of books to read – I wasn’t disappointed. In this book Gawande recounts his investigations into how the use of simple checklists can be used to minimise errors in surgery in hospitals all around the world (part of a World Health Organization initiative). Gawande explores the use of checklists by pilots in both routine and emergency situations and within huge construction projects and describes his attempts to design simple checklists for use before and after surgery and the difficulties of persuading surgical teams that their use was worthwhile (it most certainly was). One of the more interesting facets uncovered by Gawande is that the best checklists don’t simply list tasks that have to be done (they can do this) but they also incorporate checkpoints that require people to share certain information or discuss situations and produce agreed decisions.
As a surgeon, Gawande writes openly about surgical procedures and at times you need to have a pretty strong stomach to take in what is being written (at one point he describes accidentally cutting a patient’s vena cava and the resulting blood loss as “terrifying”).
So, another great read from an inspiring author. More please.
Tim O'Hare 