The checklist seems like such a simple effort. In its simplicity comes its most significant benefit: protecting us against failure. Checklists allow us to establish a higher standard of performance. As we are specialists in orthodontics, we would expect that we continue to get things right because we have spent years learning and practicing this field. And yet experts in many professions aim to improve their practice and gain effectiveness.
We gain effectiveness by increasing productivity and minimizing mistakes that affect our work and the experience we deliver. Take your rate of emergency appointments. These appointments result from bond failure, failure to clip wires, and other little failures that add orthodontic treatment visits and time.
“We need a different strategy for overcoming failure, one that builds on experience and takes advantage of the knowledge people have, but somehow also makes up for our inevitable human inadequacies. And there is such a strategy—though it will seem almost ridiculous in its simplicity, maybe even crazy to those of us who have spent years carefully developing ever more advanced skills and technologies. It is a checklist.” – Atul Gawande, Author of The Checklist Manifesto
Use checklists to maintain complex procedures
There is a science to what we do, and although what we do each day may seem routine to us, they are complex procedures. The volume and the complexity of what we do can increase the emergency rate and negative patient experiences. For example, setting up a checklist for bonding protocols can ensure no one skips any steps, and the process leads to a reduction of broken brackets or loose attachments. The lists in your office can start with training checklists and continue with procedural checklists.
In our practice, we use checklists daily for complete treatment record keeping. We use them for treatment planning prescription systems. Checklists help with many aspects of practice, including how we manage office supplies and logistics. There is a misconception that checklists are only how-to guides. However, they are elegant and straightforward tools developed to buttress the skills of expert professionals.
Remember that the checklist is only an aid. It should have simple and effective wording. Avoid lengthy lists, so keep them between five to nine items. Take advantage of this undervalued resource. Long live the checklist.
