The Time Out Procedure: have we changed our practice?

Background: A preoperative surgical safety checklist was implemented into three major hospitals performing elective operations in Christchurch (New Zealand) in 2004. A prospective analysis of the results of this "Time Out Procedure" (TOP) was performed upon its implementation and 4 years later.

Methods: All members of the surgical team who participated in the TOP were recorded, as were the details of any discrepancies encountered during the TOP.