Understanding Handover Strategies in Emergency Departments
Author Information
Author(s): Lawrence Renée H, Tomolo Anne M, Garlisi Andy P, Aron David C
Primary Institution: Center for Quality Improvement and Research, Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Hypothesis
What strategies are used for change of shift handovers in emergency care settings?
Conclusion
Including phases and agents in conceptualizations of handovers can help target interventions to improve patient safety.
Supporting Evidence
- Of 21 previously identified strategies, 8 were used consistently, 4 were never used, and 9 were used occasionally.
- Our data support ten additional strategies.
- Four agent types and 6 phases of the process were identified via grounded theory analysis.
- Six general themes or clusters emerged covering factors that intersect to define the degree of handover smoothness.
Takeaway
This study looked at how doctors and nurses pass on information about patients when they change shifts, and found that doing it well is really important for keeping patients safe.
Methodology
The study used observations, open-ended surveys, and in-depth interviews with emergency department staff.
Limitations
The response rate for the open-ended surveys was 37%, and the study was limited to one setting.
Participant Demographics
The majority of participants were Caucasian (74%), with 48.4% being female.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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