Objective: To describe and to assess the effectiveness of a checklist concerning the intensive care rooms' equipment before patients' admission.
Study design: A 4 years prospective study with 3 successive assessments.
Methods: Medical equipment inspection of 20 intensive care unit (ICU) rooms was first checked without using a written checklist (phase I). A written procedure called "room opening checklist" (ROC) was instituted to inspect medical equipment, and then assessment of its use and effectiveness was performed 2 years (phase II) and 4 years later (phase III).
Results: Phase I (1998): medical equipment of 20 intensive care rooms was inspected before patients' admission. None of the 20 intensive care rooms was strictly equipped in accordance with the unit's official procedure. Phase II (2000): ROC has been used for all the 20 evaluated ICU rooms, 17 ICU rooms were equipped in accordance with the official procedure. Phase III (2002): ROC has been used for 19 ICU rooms, 18 ICU rooms were correctly equipped.
Conclusion: The routine use of ROC has improved the adequacy of the ICU room's equipment endowment in our intensive care units.