Primary Care Checklist

The simple integration of a checklist in clinical care has been shown to be affordable, effective to improve patient care and decrease medical errors. WHO pioneered the use of safety checklists in health care with the introduction of the Surgical Safety Checklist as a flagship intervention of the second global patient safety challenge: Safe Surgery Saves Lives. The success of this checklist prompted the extension to other clinical care areas, and WHO has a suite of clinical checklists that have been developed to promote safe, effective patient care around emergency and trauma care, safe childbirth, and primary care.

The WHO Primary Care Checklist summarizes ten key components of the patient encounter and encompasses the “5C's of primary care”: first contact accessibility, continuity, coordination, comprehensiveness and person-centeredness. It is intended to guide health workers in taking a structured systematic approach to a longitudinal primary care visit and allow flexibility to address individual needs. It serves as a practical tool to enhance communication, improve safety, and promote a person-centered visit.