Bill would require patient safety checklists

(AP) - Health care workers could have a state-mandated to-do list if a new bill becomes law.

Las Vegas Democratic Assemblyman John Oceguera introduced AB280 on Tuesday. The bill would require hospitals to develop safety checklists to remind workers of tasks such as washing hands after touching a contaminated surface and positively identifying a patient before treatment to avoid mix-ups.

Medical facilities would be required to update the checklists annually.

Oceguera compared the lists to a pilot's pre-flight safety checklist and said they could help hurried medical staff avoid simple but potentially dangerous errors.

One study by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health showed a one-third drop in complications and deaths when checklists were used during major surgeries and indicated they promote teamwork among various staff members working on a patient.