Materials > Background Information > WHO Guidelines

These guidelines are designed to meet the principles of simplicity, wide applicability and measurability in order to allow for successful implementation of the Checklist.  This extensive document is organized into three sections: specific objectives for safe surgical care, findings from reviews of evidence on and experience with approaches to meeting each of the objectives, and potentially beneficial practices.

Note: New versions of the Checklist, Implementation Manual, and Guidelines were released in September 2009.
To view the old Guidelines document, click here.



Click here to see a selected bibliography supporting the ten essential objectives for safe surgery