It's actually common for retired pilots to teach risk mitigation classes for doctors and nurses. Something as simple as a small checklist can make a huge difference.
I know a few pilot-physicians who treat the NATOPS-style [0] procedures for medicine and surgery as rules to live by.
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NATOPS is a positive approach toward improving combat readiness and achieving a substantial reduction in the aircraft accident rate. Standardization, based on professional knowledge and experience, provides the basis for development of an efficient and sound operational procedure. The standardization program is not planned to stifle individual initiative, but rather to aid the commanding officer in increasing the unit’s combat potential without reducing command prestige or responsibility. -- OPNAV Instruction 3710.7U
[1] http://smile.amazon.com/Checklist-Manifesto-How-Things-Right...
Of course, there was not enough data yet to conclude any improvement within the 95% confidence interval, but still, it does hint at a great reduction in serious mistakes.
When they say "The effect of mandatory checklist implementation is unclear" they really mean that the magnitude of the effect is still unclear.
Also, the metaanalysis describes which studies have gotten the same profound results:
"Only studies including team training or a more comprehensive safety system that includes multiple checklists have shown effectiveness similar to that seen in the WHO study."
Maybe the benefits are overhyped, but there appear to be reductions in mortality during hospital stays, and the studies suggest ways hospitals can improve results (ie, team training and systems with multiple checklists).
The episode is called How To Avoid Mistakes In Surgery for those interested.
Available at torrent sites near you!
Slow down a little bit and use a checklist when deploying. Use a checklist when reviewing code. Iterate so you aren’t wasting time or limiting your thinking.
I've helped craft a checklist we use on our releases based on lessons learned over several years, an awful lot of it is about communication to end users / other teams. Especially if the release is one that involves downtime it's important to have consistent practices and clarity about who is going communicate what and when. Checklists are a good way to capture the "what could have gone better" outputs of retrospectives.