We all work under pressure and face interruptions. When we’re moving quickly, it’s easy to miss important details. Cross-Check helps teams verify critical information with a verified source before moving forward, strengthening patient safety through collaboration.

As the third focus of The Honor Way initiative, Cross-Check builds on Self-Check, and Repeat and Read Back. This high-reliability habit encourages clinicians to verify information, decisions and actions before moving forward and speak up when something doesn’t seem right.

The Cross-Check framework

Before a decision, handoff or other high-risk action, take a moment to:

• Look: Does anything seem different than expected?
• Ask: Would another set of eyes help?
• Speak: Raise concerns respectfully and early.

See Cross-Check in action

See how a physician uses Cross-Check during rounds to catch a dosing detail before it affects patient care.

Where Cross-Check matters most

Cross-Check is especially valuable during:

• Care transitions
• Patient handoffs
• New or changing orders
• High-risk procedures
• Time-sensitive decisions

Taking a few extra seconds to verify critical information helps make Cross-Check a normal part of how we communicate.

Next steps

To learn more about Cross-Check and access additional resources, visit The Honor Way SharePoint page on HonorHub. For questions or support, contact your department chair, medical director or high-reliability champion.

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