Question

Stacking the odds to reduce medical errors involves:

a. Reducing staff training
b. Increasing communication errors
c. Implementing safety checklists
d. Ignoring protocols

Answer 1

To reduce medical errors, implementing safety checklists is the correct approach, as they help ensure consistency and thoroughness in medical procedures.

Step-by-step explanation:

Stacking the odds to reduce medical errors typically involves actions that enhance safety and minimize the chance of mistakes. Therefore, the correct response would be implementing safety checklists. These checklists, as shown in the example of Dr. Pronovost's intervention in the ICU, have been proven to be effective in reducing errors. By providing clear instructions and protocols to be followed, they help ensure that important steps are not omitted and that procedures are consistently carried out correctly. Consequently, safety checklists can lead to dramatic reductions in infection rates, decrease ICU stays, save lives, and be cost-effective.