Surgical procedures are increasingly complex aspects of health services and carry a significant risk of potentially avoidable harm. Improving safety in surgical care is multi-faceted and spans the period before surgery, during the surgical procedure, and during care following surgery. Research has emphasized the impact of culture, communication, and teamwork on the effectiveness of the improvements we need to make in surgical care safety.

The topics in this section focus on tool and resources that both patients and healthcare providers can use to increase safe care before, during, and following surgery. These include surgical safety checklists and the results of Enhanced Recovery Canada research.