Study: ICU rounding checklist may reduce patient mortality

Facilities using a rounding checklist in the intensive care unit had lower rates of in-hospital and ICU mortality, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Journal of Patient Safety Network. However, the authors rate the “certainty of evidence” of the 12 observational studies included in the review as “very low.” Providers viewed rounding checklists positively, particularly pertaining to team collaboration, communication and perception of patient safety. The authors call for well-designed randomized studies to improve the certainty of evidence and to determine which aspects of care should be included in an ICU rounding checklist. (AHRQ Journal of Patient Safety article, 9/4/24)