There’s lots of studies out there investigating the use of cognitive aids in crises. The following are a mere smattering of the ones i found most interesting & useful when launching into this project….

NEJM. Simulation Based Trial of Surgical Crisis Checklists.  Without checklists 23% of critical steps missed in crises. With checklist only 6%.

Anest & Analgesia. Use of Cognitive Aids in a Simulated Crisis. Showed improvement in management of MH with checklists. Especially if the checklists were read out loud.

Reg Anes & Pain. Editorial: Is it Time to Use Checklists for Anaesthesia Emergencies. Commentary about checklist in LAST. Participants without a checklist completed 8/21 tasks, with a checklist 16/21.

J Amer Col Surgeons. Crisis Checklist for the Operating Room: Development & Pilot Testing. Small study piloting their new checklists. Showed x6 reduction in adherence to critical tasks with checklists.

Anes & Anal. The Use of Cognitive Aids During Emergencies in Anaesthesia: A Review of the Literature. A good overview of the good & bad about using an aid in a crisis.

Can J Anes. Cardiac arrest in the OR: How are our ACLS skills? A study demonstrating how bad humans are in a crisis at adhering to critical tasks/protocols without help.

Sim Healthcare. Does Every Code Need a ‘Reader?’ Improvement of Rare Event Management with a Cognitive Aid ‘Reader’ During a Simulated Emergency. A great study demonstrating the problems with using a manual. But a way to overcome them…Use a reader!!