Clinical boundary: This is an exam-learning source map, not a checklist for independent clinical use. Surgical care must follow the responsible team, local protocol and current institutional process.
What this module is for
Learn why the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist is organised around moments in a team’s workflow—not as a set of isolated facts to memorise.
The WHO checklist is designed to improve safety, teamwork and communication in surgery.
It separates the operation into three team checkpoints: before induction of anaesthesia, before skin incision and before the patient leaves the operating room.
Local teams may adapt implementation, but student learning should distinguish the safety aim from a patient-specific instruction.
Revision anchors
Anchor 1 — time changes the question. Safety checks belong to a defined phase of the perioperative workflow.
Anchor 2 — safety is collaborative. The checklist is a structured team communication tool, not one person’s memory test.
Anchor 3 — use the current local process. A global checklist does not substitute for hospital policy, clinical judgement or supervision.
Active recall
1. What are the three workflow points used in the WHO checklist?
Before induction of anaesthesia, before skin incision and before the patient leaves the operating room.
2. What is the checklist trying to strengthen beyond individual recall?
Teamwork and communication around critical safety checks.
3. What must a student check before treating a global checklist as a local instruction?
The applicable institutional process, the responsible clinical team and current local guidance.