When Atul Gawande started the discussion about the use of checklists with his book, The Checklist Manifesto in 2010, the idea of using checklists to manage patient care was widely considered to be unnecessary. We already knew what was required to provide excellent patient care. However, the concept of ensuring that all of the touchpoints essential to achieving targeted outcomes are addressed has been gaining traction. The use of checklists has helped clinicians focus on the intended outcomes of care, especially in the area of patient safety and reducing harms.

The accompanying article by Bose et al describes development of a checklist specific to disease management for use during rounds. They focused on the problems presented by patients requiring the different levels of care necessitated by COVID-19. This is similar to the concept of critical pathways following the expected trajectory of illness. Checklists can be helpful when addressing required care...

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