The New York Times bestselling author of Being Mortal and
Complications reveals the surprising power of the ordinary checklist
We live in a world of great and increasing complexity, where even the
most expert professionals struggle to master the tasks they face. Longer
training, ever more advanced technologies--neither seems to prevent
grievous errors. But in a hopeful turn, acclaimed surgeon and writer
Atul Gawande finds a remedy in the humblest and simplest of techniques:
the checklist. First introduced decades ago by the U.S. Air Force,
checklists have enabled pilots to fly aircraft of mind-boggling
sophistication. Now innovative checklists are being adopted in hospitals
around the world, helping doctors and nurses respond to everything from
flu epidemics to avalanches. Even in the immensely complex world of
surgery, a simple ninety-second variant has cut the rate of fatalities
by more than a third.
In riveting stories, Gawande takes us from Austria, where an emergency
checklist saved a drowning victim who had spent half an hour underwater,
to Michigan, where a cleanliness checklist in intensive care units
virtually eliminated a type of deadly hospital infection. He explains
how checklists actually work to prompt striking and immediate
improvements. And he follows the checklist revolution into fields well
beyond medicine, from homeland security to investment banking,
skyscraper construction, and businesses of all kinds.
An intellectual adventure in which lives are lost and saved and one
simple idea makes a tremendous difference, The Checklist Manifesto is
essential reading for anyone working to get things right.
