The WHO surgical checklist.

Following the overwhelming evidence of adverse events in hospital practice, the World Health Organization (WHO)'s World Alliance for Patient Safety has launched the 'Safe Surgery Saves Lives' campaign, which has developed a surgical safety checklist aimed to improve patient safety. The implementation of this checklist has met with mixed reactions in different institutions. Many countries have still not adopted its use. In this article, a brief review is presented regarding the role of the WHO checklist, barriers to its implementation and strategies for successful adoption.