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Handover of Patients From Prehospital Emergency Services to Emergency Departments: A Qualitative Analysis Based on Experiences of Nurses

Authors:

Abstract

Background: During the transfer of patients, both ambulance and hospital emergency service professionals need to exchange necessary, precise, and complete information for an effective handover. Some factors threaten a quality handover such as excessive caseload, patients with multiple comorbidities, limited past medical history, and frequent interruptions. Purpose: To explore the viewpoint of nurses on their experience of patient handovers, describing the essential aspects of the process and areas for improvement, and establishing standardized elements for an effective handover. Methods: A qualitative research method was used. Results: Nurses identified the need to standardize the patient transfer process by a written record to support the verbal handover and to transmit patient information adequately, in a timely manner, and in a space free of interruptions, in order to increase patient safety. Conclusions: An organized method does not exist. The quality of handovers could be enhanced by improvements in communication and standardizing the process.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal.
Handover of Patients From
Prehospital Emergency
Services to Emergency
Departments
A Qualitative Analysis Based on Experiences of Nurses
Ángela Sanjuan-Quiles, PhD, RN; María del Pilar Hernández-Ramón, MSc;
Rocío Juliá-Sanchis, PhD, RN; Noelia García-Aracil, PhD, RN;
MªElena Castejón-de la Encina, PhD, RN; Juana Perpiñá-Galvañ, PhD
ABSTRACT
Background: During the transfer of patients, both ambulance and hospital emergency service professionals
need to exchange necessary, precise, and complete information for an effective handover. Some factors
threaten a quality handover such as excessive caseload, patients with multiple comorbidities, limited past
medical history, and frequent interruptions.
Purpose: To explore the viewpoint of nurses on their experience of patient handovers, describing the essential
aspects of the process and areas for improvement, and establishing standardized elements for an effective
handover.
Methods: A qualitative research method was used.
Results: Nurses identified the need to standardize the patient transfer process by a written record to support
the verbal handover and to transmit patient information adequately, in a timely manner, and in a space free of
interruptions, in order to increase patient safety.
Conclusions: An organized method does not exist. The quality of handovers could be enhanced by improve-
ments in communication and standardizing the process.
Key words: communication, emergency department, handover, nursing, prehospital emergency services
The process of handing over a patient is
dened as the transfer of responsibility,
clinical information, and care of a patient from
Author Affiliations: Health Sciences Faculty, University of Alicante,
Carretera San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain (Drs Sanjuan-Quiles,
Juliá-Sanchis, García-Aracil, Castejón-de la Encina, and
Perpiñá-Galvañ); and Vega Baja Hospital, Orihuela, Alicante, Spain
(Ms Hernández-Ramón).
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives
License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and
share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be
changed in any way or used commercially without permission from
the journal.
Supplemental digital content is available for this article. Direct URL
citations appear in the printed text and are provided in the HTML
and PDF versions of this article on the journal’s Website
(www.jncqjournal.com).
Correspondence: Rocío Juliá-Sanchis, PhD, RN, Health Sciences
Faculty, University of Alicante, Carretera San Vicente del Raspeig
s/n -03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain (rjulia@ua.es).
Accepted for publication: June 4, 2018
Published ahead of print: July 18, 2018
DOI: 10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000351
one health care professional to another.1,2 This
process involves a series of actions, which guar-
antee the coordination and continuity of care.3
However, handovers are not devoid of risks
due to factors inherent to the organization of
prehospital emergency medical services (PEMS)
and hospital emergency departments (EDs),
which can result in errors in communication
during the transfer of patients between health
care professionals.3These factors include the di-
versity of patient conditions attended to by such
services, more than one health care professional
caring for any given patient, limited information
about the patient’s medical history, excessive
caseload, limited time frames, and continuous
interruptions.4,5
Likewise, PEMS have only one opportunity
to transfer information to the ED, and as such,
whatever data are not transmitted, acquired,
or recorded in the patient’s clinical notes dur-
ing handover are lost.4These circumstances
can lead to discontinuity in care, increased
J Nurs Care Qual • Vol. 0, No. 0, pp. 1–6 • Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. www.jncqjournal.com 1
2Handover of Patients From Prehospital Emergency Services to EDs Journal of Nursing Care Quality
variability in clinical practice, decreased proce-
dural integrity, and the occurrence of adverse
events in up to 60% to 80% of cases.6,7 To
counteract such unfavorable situations in the
organization, standardization and consistency
of the handover process, to enhance the effec-
tiveness of communication during handover, is
needed.8-11
BACKGROUND
A number of authors have performed research
on strategies for improving handover in a range
of contexts, from operating room to pediatric
intensive care units.12,13 All of them found that
using checklists reduces data loss and medical
errors related to failures in communication, im-
proves information content at handover and the
quality and reliability of the information trans-
mitted, and enhances clinical safety.13,14 Klim
et al,15 in a survey and group discussion forum
with ED nurses, identied that the information
received, the past medical history, and vital signs
of the patient were not checked for accuracy
by most health care professionals, resulting in
an inadequate and poor-quality handover.16 It
is worthy of note that studies related to the
transfer of patients between ambulance services
and EDs are limited.10 Due to the fact that the
lack of standardization of handovers increases
the likelihood of adverse events, the purpose
of this study was to explore the viewpoint
of nurses on their experience of patient han-
dovers, describing the essential aspects of the
process, identifying the weak points, and estab-
lishing standardized elements for an effective
handover.
METHODS
A qualitative study design was used within the
theoretical framework of a content analysis.
To systematically organize the resultant data,17
semistructured, face-to-face interviews were
recorded in an audio format, transcribed verba-
tim, and analyzed by 3 independent researchers
who did not participate in the interviews.
All participants were informed of the aim of
the study, the methods used, and how they would
participate. Prior to being interviewed, informed
consent was obtained, and we received autho-
rization from the PEMS management and hos-
pital management team to which the personnel
interviewed belonged.
Sample
The initial study sample consisted of 30 nurs-
ing professionals from the province of Ali-
cante (Spain). Recruitment was performed via
nonprobabilistic intentional sampling, which in-
cluded nurses working in PEMS and EDs who
met the following inclusion criteria: currently
employed and having at least 2 years of expe-
rience in these specialist areas. Finally, 12 nurses
satised the inclusion criteria and participated in
the study. Seven of them were female, and the
mean age was 36.2 years. Their average years
of experience were 11.6, and half of the partici-
pants were from PEMS.
Procedure
Once participants had been selected, one
research team member contacted them via
e-mail. Then, the study was explained, and they
were invited to participate. The interviews were
held from March to April 2017. The particular
areas of interest of the study were included in
the formulation of 10 open-ended questions,
based on the literature review and the specic
aims of the project. Nurses were asked about: (1)
standardization of the process, (2) effectiveness
of the transfer process, (3) essential elements to
handover, (4) organization of information, (5)
prompting the information to be provided or
received, (6) communication techniques, (7) a
proper handover, (8) key information, (9) infor-
mation to continuity of care, and (10) improving
the status quo of the transfer of care.
Data analysis
Researchers ensured the data gathered from
the interviews were coherent and accurate. The
interviews were recorded in a digital audio
format, transcribed verbatim, and subsequently
provided to the participants for the accuracy
of the transcription to be corroborated. The
data were processed using a qualitative content
analysis methodology.18 The interviews were
analyzed via data triangulation, applying an
open codication system, which consisted of
assigning emergent codes to each paragraph
or sentence according to their meaning. These
codes were classied into groups according to
similarity. Subsequent to identifying patterns
in the transcriptions, the classications were
divided into topics and subtopics.
Data saturation was reached once 10 inter-
views had been transcribed and triangulated by
00 2018 • Volume 0 • Number 0 www.jncqjournal.com 3
the research team. Informatics software was not
used in performing the content analysis. Once
potential differences with regard to the available
literature and/or conceptual frameworks were
identied, the content was examined, and con-
sensus reached on the more relevant data re-
lated to each topic and subtopic. The reliability
of qualitative data was achieved via a systematic
process of data gathering and analysis.19
RESULTS
Four topics and 11 subtopics were generated,
as shown in the Supplemental Digital Content,
Table, available at: http://links.lww.com/JNCQ/
A463.
Standardization
Within this topic the subtopics were: protocols,
clinical safety, and patient-family participation.
Standardization is the process by which an activ-
ity is performed in a previously established me-
thodical manner, subject to consensus as the ac-
ceptable procedure for performing certain types
of activities or functions.20
When the nurses were asked whether they con-
sidered it necessary to standardize the transfer
process, all agreed that the standardization of
the process was essential. Furthermore, 6 of them
stated that standardization could avoid data loss,
errors, and mistakes. Consequently, the stan-
dardization of the handover process would im-
prove clinical safety. A nurse stated, “Standard-
izing the process would be of interest to avoid
omissions and errors and for everyone to work
in a more homogenous way.” Also, another said,
“If a protocol existed, we could avoid gaps in
information.”
The transfer process
The following subtopics were included with this
area: patient details, data organization, and hos-
pital organization. Regarding the question of
which information should be included in the
transfer process, all of the nursing profession-
als surveyed highlighted the following areas as
important: the presenting complaint or reason
for referral, personal history, allergies, treatment
or care received, and medications administered.
Six of nurses considered it essential to know
about the previous condition of the patient and
the effectiveness of any treatment administered.
Only one of the participants felt it unnecessary
to be informed about IV line, catheters, or oxy-
gen therapy, stating that visual cues are retained
and thus they did not require such information
to be reported.
The ED nurses highlighted the need to obtain
information about the patient and any nursing
tasks performed prior to their arrival. A nurse
stated:
The handover brought in by PEMS should in-
clude any nursing tasks that have been per-
formed (IV line), the presenting complaint, and
main actions performed, and above all, whether
they have had the time or the opportunity to
speak with the patient and family members…[to
identify] drug allergies and main medical condi-
tions contributing to the patient reaching a crit-
ical state … to know if they found the patient
lying on the oor, if they have seen home oxygen
equipment in the house, any information one can
get is always good to know, especially in emer-
gency cases.
It is noteworthy that each nursing professional
organized information in different ways. They
expanded or dismissed information according
to their clinical judgment and mental schemat-
ics as a way to assimilate, organize, and trans-
form information into knowledge.21,22 A nurse
stated, “Before reaching the hospital, I review
everything in my mind, all the medication that
has been administered, all the interventions, the
situation the patient has been through.” An-
other nurse said, “I use the following mental
schematic: the reason the patient is being trans-
ferred, medication administered, IV line, vital
signs.” Another nurse said, “I don’t use any
method for organizing the information in my
head. Visual signs, oxygen therapy, IV line, uri-
nary catheter, the way the patient arrives… your
eyes pick all that up and you instantly memorize
it … What I do try to memorize is the medication
that’s been given.
The health care professionals surveyed also
believed that an essential part of patient trans-
fers lies in hospital management dening who
should be responsible for taking handover. A
nurse stated, “When you work in different
places, then you see different receiving hospitals’
systems. There are hospitals where you are
directed to triage and you speak with a nurse,
hospitals where a physician comes out, hospitals
where nobody comes out and you have to go and
nd someone, because they might be busy with
other things, so I think it also depends on the
receiving hospital’s organization.” Other nurse
4Handover of Patients From Prehospital Emergency Services to EDs Journal of Nursing Care Quality
said, “Some aren’t wearing proper identication,
and I know some are nurses and others aren’t.”
Communication
There were 2 subtopics included here, commu-
nication with the appropriate person and the
need to apply communication techniques to
ensure the correct transmission of information
provided/received. Communication is dened as
the exchange of information between a speaker
and a listener.20 The participants highlighted the
importance of information being provided to
the health care professional who will be respon-
sible for the patient. They also underlined the
value of information being handed over between
professionals of the same role. A nurse stated
that is important to “know who I have to
handover to, which nurse, because sometimes
you don’t know the staff… they should identify
themselves clearly, to know who is giving and
who should be receiving the handover of the
patient.” Another nurse said, “Actually, PEMS
colleagues don’t seek out the nurse who will
be assigned to that patient, we have to ask.
Because there is no protocol, one has to insist to
get information … in PEMS, there is only one
opportunity for communication, and you need
all the complete details: diagnosis, procedures
performed and medication given, all those basic
things, but in a more accessible place, perfectly
visible.” A nurse added, “I think the nurse who
will be looking after the patient should be the
one receiving handover.” Handover is “a little
chaotic, because the PEMS nurse hands over
to a ED nurse who happens to pass by. I think
there should be an ofcially designated receiving
nurse.”
Only 2 participants, 1 PEMS and 1 ED nurse,
believed it necessary to check the information
received with a physician, “I ask the physi-
cian about any details I’ve missed, in order
to make the information to be handed over
complete.” The other nurse said, “I often lis-
ten to what the PEMS physician tells the ED
physician, since the information is more com-
plete than that provided by the nurse. Other
times, once the handover has been given. I com-
pare my information with that of the physician.”
Regarding communication techniques, partici-
pants were asked about their use of active listen-
ing techniques such as clarication, paraphras-
ing, and feedback.23, 24 A nurse stated, “People
respond afrmatively, as if they are listening to
you, but you don’t know if it’s an automatic re-
sponse, you don’t know if they are really cap-
turing the information or not. I think there is
a lack of feedback.” Another nurse said, “Of-
ten the nurse tells me the medication that’s been
given, and I repeat this back. I focus on what
seems important to me, but I don’t retain all the
information the nurse has told me, and a lot gets
lost.” A nurse added, “I use feedback: I repeat
what I can remember in case I’ve missed some-
thing.”In addition to verbal feedback, nurses use
nonverbal communication techniques as a tool
for conrming receipt of the message.
Clinical records
Three subtopics were identied: on the ver-
bal handover and written and digital medical
records. Clinical records are condential docu-
ments that contain patients’ clinical information.
This information includes educational and other
patient characteristics and constitutes an impor-
tant administrative element.25 Currently, this in-
formation is recorded either on paper or in a dig-
ital format; however, handover between PEMS
and the ED is transmitted verbally.
The interviewees underscored the need to sup-
port this verbal handover with a recorded format
without the need for duplicating information. A
nurse stated, “If it were backed up with a writ-
ten document it would be fantastic … an easy-
to-read document, not overly lengthy, in which
any interventions performed on patients, the rel-
evant past medical history, the medication given,
and the reason for the referral are recorded.”An-
other nurse said, “The referral form the physi-
cian receives actually includes a nursing sec-
tion, but it’s unreadable, with abbreviations.” A
nurse specied, “A handover form exclusively
for nurses isn’t necessary … the current form
could be modied … even if there were 2 copies:
one for the nurse and another for the physician,
because both should have access to the same
information.”
DISCUSSION
The present study described the key experiences
of Spanish PEMS and ED nurses regarding the
transfer of patients. In line with our results, a
range of authors describe the ideal transfer pro-
cess as a structured system, either on paper or
in a digital format, which allows the recording
and permanent storing of information to sup-
port the verbal handover and organize essential
00 2018 • Volume 0 • Number 0 www.jncqjournal.com 5
patient data. 5 ,11 ,26-28 To implement standardiza-
tion would reduce data loss, and improve pa-
tient safety and professional satisfaction.1,8,29-31
According to Dubosh et al,32 the use of check-
lists would reduce errors in care and memory.
The interviews highlighted the need to assign
an ED nurse to take handover, who should be
easily identiable by PEMS staff and involved in
the subsequent care of the patient. This concurs
with literature on handovers between health care
professionals and other individuals and fam-
ily members to improve relevant information
transferred.4,5,30,31,33 Information that should be
included in the handover process, which most
participants stressed, was patient identication,
reason for referral, medical history, procedures
performed, and medication administered. There
are several classication systems such as the
I-PASS (Illness severity, Patient summary, Action
list, Synthesis by receiver, Summary by receiver)
system for organizing data, which could be
used.33-35
To ensure an effective exchange of informa-
tion, participants consider the need for a good
communication skill. The individual behavior
during the communication processes is key to
the correct reception of messages in noisy, stress-
ful environments with constant interruptions.5
It is therefore important to have active listen-
ing techniques, which facilitate communication
and reduce barriers.4Consistent with Greenstein
et al,36 the communication techniques described
and used by the participants were feedback, clar-
ication, taking notes, and access to a handover
form. They recognized that ways to complete the
communication process were underutilized.
Limitations
The data collected reect the experience of PEMS
and ED nurses from the province of Alicante
(Spain). The entire PEMS have the same orga-
nization: ambulances’ teams are formed by the
physician, nurse, and technician, or by the nurse
and technician. Every team has to transfer the pa-
tient to the ED after their advanced live support,
and the nurse always has to be responsible for
the process. However, ndings may be general-
izable to other areas that do not possess similar
organization systems or characteristics.
CONCLUSIONS
The present study demonstrates the need to
standardize the patient transfer process between
PEMS and ED professionals, to improve commu-
nication, avoid data loss and adverse events, and
thus increase clinical safety. The essential infor-
mation to include in patient transfers is the rea-
son for referral, past history including any infor-
mation relevant to the case, drug allergies, and
procedures performed with an emphasis on drug
administration and response to treatment.
The following steps are proposed for perform-
ing adequate patient transfer: rst, identify the
receiving nurse for the patient; second, subse-
quent to presenting themselves, the PEMS nurses
should handover the relevant patient informa-
tion in the following order: patient identication,
reason for the referral, past medical history, and
baseline, whether they know each other, proce-
dures performed prior to arrival, and the patient
response to treatment; and third, the ED nurse
should conrm the correct receipt of all informa-
tion, repeating it back or asking questions and
requesting clarication as needed. Verbal com-
munication should be backed up at all times with
written material provided by the PEMS nurse.
The standardized patient transfer process be-
tween PEMS and ED nurses should be structured
to organize and store patient information. That
will help reduce errors in care and data loss, as
well as avoiding adverse events, and improving
patient safety and professional satisfaction.
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... Inoltre, la revisione ha messo in luce che l'utilizzo di strumenti standardizzati permette un passaggio completo di tutte le informazioni in breve tempo. Lo studio qualitativo di Quiles et al., 6 condotto nel 2019, aveva come obiettivo quello di indagare le esperienze in merito all'handover e alle sue aree di miglioramento. Il lavoro aveva coinvolto infermieri appartenenti al sistema di emergenza territoriale e di pronto soccorso. ...
... Un handover efficace è cruciale in ambienti come quello dell'emergenza-urgenza, in cui le decisioni devono essere prese rapidamente e la comunicazione tra i membri dell'equipe è di fondamentale importanza per garantire una cura adeguata e sicura ai pazienti. 5,6 L'alta percentuale di infermieri che ha classificato l'handover come "molto importante" suggerisce una consapevolezza dell'importanza di una comunicazione chiara e accurata, necessaria non solo al passaggio completo delle informazioni, ma anche a quanto questo passaggio possa influire positivamente sulla riduzione del rischio d'errore. Particolare importanza viene assunta anche dalla modalità con cui le informazioni sono trasmesse dall'infermiere di emergenza territoriale al triagista di pronto soccorso. ...
... Tale aspetto potrebbe avere implicazioni importanti per la sicurezza del paziente, poiché un'informazione omessa o mal comunicata potrebbe avere gravi conseguenze sull'outcome del paziente stesso. 5,6,9 Per tale motivo risulta necessario effettuare ulteriori indagini o valutazioni per comprendere meglio le cause di questi dubbi e sviluppare strategie per migliorare la qualità dell'handover. ...
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Introduzione: il passaggio delle informazioni del paziente tra operatori sanitari rappresenta un punto focale nel processo di cura. La sua importanza è sottolineata anche dall'Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanità e dalla Commissione Congiunta. La quantità di informazioni trasmesse è di fondamentale importanza sia per garantire un’adeguata continuità assistenziale sia per evitare l’insorgere di errori. In letteratura, lo strumento che più si adatta ai diversi contesti assistenziali è rappresentato dallo SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation), definito semplice ed efficace per la comunicazione interdisciplinare. Materiali e Metodo: studio descrittivo-osservazionale con campionamento a valanga non probabilistico. Per la raccolta dei dati è stato realizzato un questionario ad hoc composto da 18 domande e successivamente somministrato agli infermieri appartenenti all'emergenza locale attraverso l'utilizzo di diversi canali di comunicazione che riconducono in modo attendibile ai temi di interesse. Sono state raccolte in totale 132 risposte. Risultati: le variabili indagate riguardano temi quali difficoltà operative, l'attuale utilizzo di uno specifico strumento, la presenza di eventuali interruzioni durante la fase di handover, la possibilità di omettere informazioni fondamentali durante questo processo. Dall'analisi dei dati ottenuti è stato possibile apprezzare diversi aspetti. Durante la fase di passaggio di consegne sono emerse difficoltà operative, la necessità di un'adeguata istruzione e formazione del personale infermieristico sulle metodologie standardizzate, in particolare il metodo SBAR, e la necessità di migliorare la comunicazione tra gli infermieri di emergenza locale e gli operatori della triade di pronto soccorso. Conclusioni: questa indagine ha contribuito a evidenziare le sfide e le opportunità nel processo di passaggio di consegne tra gli infermieri di emergenza locali e gli operatori del triage del pronto soccorso. Le conclusioni suggeriscono che un’adeguata formazione e attenzione alla comunicazione possono contribuire a migliorare la qualità delle cure erogate e garantire una transizione più sicura del paziente critico all’interno del sistema emergenza-urgenza, anche dal punto di vista della sicurezza. gestione del rischio clinico.
... Patient handover in the emergency department (ED) is a 2-way communication process between the paramedics and in-hospital emergency personnel, which can result in miscommunication and delivery challenges (1). Pre-hospital emergency services play a crucial role in the health care system by transferring vital information about the patient to ED personnel, particularly in situations involving time-critical and urgent care. ...
... In the study of De Lange et al, nurses and physicians in the ED did not listen to the paramedics' explanations or care much about them (20). In other studies, the results showed that paramedics expressed great concern about the lack of respect received by ED nurses during the patient handover, and they noted the lack of consideration during patient handovers as an important challenge that continues even today (1,6,21). ...
... Handover is the process during which the responsibility for a patient's care is transferred from one health care provider to another [1]. Handover in the urgent care and emergency setting occurs when two levels of care for critically ill patients join, and requires the accurate transfer of information that ensures optimal subsequent care of the patient [2][3][4][5][6]. Handover is considered a concern among leading patient safety groups as communication problems account for 60 % of the sentinel events reported to the Joint Commission, in addition to causing an increase in the expense and hospital stay [1,[4][5][6][7]. ...
... The sender identifies and introduces him or herself to the receiving professional. 2 El profesional receptor se identifica y se presenta al profesional emisor. ...
... In EDs, clinical skills and saving lives are often emphasised, while handovers are often neglected (Campbell & Dontje, 2019). In EDs, handovers between emergency care practitioners and healthcare professionals differs from handovers done in other healthcare environments (Sanjuan-Quiles et al., 2018). ...
... The study aimed to create a shared understanding of the concept of person-centred handover practices. Different definitions exist for handover, but the most accepted definition is the transfer of responsibility and accountability of care from one healthcare practitioner to the next (Sanjuan-Quiles et al., 2018). Person-centred care has also been described in different ways, with all definitions placing the patient at the centre of their care (McConnell et al., 2016). ...
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Aim To reach consensus on the definition and attributes of ‘person‐centred handover practices’ in emergency departments. Background Handover practices between emergency care practitioners and healthcare professionals in emergency departments are important and should be conducted meticulously. Person‐centred handover practices may enhance the delivery of person‐centred care in emergency departments. Design A three‐round online Delphi survey. Methods Nine experts participated in a three round Delphi survey. The expert panel comprised experts from nine countries. Quantitative data were descriptively analysed, and qualitative data were thematically analysed. A consensus of 80% had to be reached before an attribute and definition could be accepted. Results Experts reached a consensus of 79% in round one, 95% in round two and 95% in round three. A final set of six attributes were agreed upon and the final concept definition was formulated. Conclusion Person‐centred handover practices have not been implemented in emergency departments. Yet, person‐centred handover practices may enhance the delivery of person‐centred care, which has multiple benefits for patients and healthcare practitioners. Implications for the profession and/or patient care Person‐centred care is not generally implemented in emergency departments. Person‐centred handover practices can lead to person‐centred care. Handover practices in emergency departments are a high‐risk activity. Despite numerous calls to standardise and improve handover practices, they remain a problem. Developing a standardised definition could be a first step towards implementing person‐centred handover practices in emergency departments. Reporting method The study adhered to the relevant EQUATOR reporting guidelines: Guidance on Conducting and Reporting Delphi Studies (CREDES) checklist. Impact (Addressing) Improve handover practices and patient care. Improve person‐centred care in emergency departments. Patient or public contribution Emergency care practitioners and nurses experienced in handover practices and/or person‐centred care, working in clinical and academic fields, participated in the study by sharing their expert knowledge during each of the Delphi rounds.
... Effective nursedoctor communication in the ED is vital for collaboration [30]. Communication barriers between emergency nurses and other team members can obstruct care delivery, with communication errors during handovers posing significant risks [31][32][33]. A UK survey from 2005 linked over 80% of critical transfer incidents to inadequate training and equipment [34]. ...
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Background Emergency nurses play a pivotal role in delivering efficient emergency healthcare, yet they often encounter numerous challenges, especially while managing life-threatening cases, impacting both their well-being and patient satisfaction. This study seeks to identify the prevalent challenges faced by these nurses in Saudi hospitals when handling Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS1 and CTAS2) cases, with the aim of mitigating or managing these issues in the future. Methods This study incorporated a mixed-method approach to identify obstacles in Emergency Department (ED) nursing treatment of CTAS1 and CTAS2 cases in two major Saudi Arabian hospitals. The research began with qualitative focus group interviews with expert ED nurses, followed by a quantitative survey to measure and explore relationships among the qualitative findings. Data analysis leveraged qualitative thematic analysis and principal component analysis, ensuring rigorous examination and validation of data to drive meaningful conclusions. Findings From expert interviews, key challenges for emergency nurses were identified, including resource management, communication, training compliance, and psychological factors. A survey of 172 nurses further distilled these into five major issues: patient care management, handling critical cases, administration support, patient care delay, and stress from patients’ families. Conclusion Through a mixed-method approach, this study pinpoints five pivotal challenges confronting emergency nurses in Saudi hospitals. These encompass difficulties in patient care management, the psychological toll of handling critical cases, inadequate administrative support, delays due to extended patient stays, and the stress induced by the presence of patients’ families, all of which significantly impede emergency department efficiency and compromise nurse well-being.
... Handover practices are a frequently performed and highly critical task in clinical practise that protects continuity of care leading to improved patient outcomes and patient safety [6,7]. Handover practices have been defined as the transfer of responsibility, clinical information, and care of a patient from one provider to another [2,5,8]. The optimal transfer of responsibility and accountability during handover have been of importance for many years to ensure patient safety [2,5,9]. ...
Article
Background: Transfer of patients from the prehospital to the in-hospital environment is a frequent occurrence requiring a handover process. Habitually, emergency care practitioners and healthcare professionals focus on patient care activities, not prioritising person-centred handover practices and not initiating person-centred care. Aim: The aim of this concept analysis was to define the concept person centred handover practices. Methods: The eight steps for Walker and Avant’s method of concept analysis. Results: Thirty-one articles were included for final review including qualitative and quantitative studies, literature reviews and audits. This concept analysis guided the development of an concept definition of person-centred handover practices between emergency care practitioners and healthcare professionals in the emergency department as person- centred handover practices are those handovers being performed while including all identified defining attributes such as structure, verbal, and written information transfer, interprofessional process, inclusion of the patient and/ or family, occurs at the bedside, without interruption. Conclusions: Results suggested that person-centred handover practices involve verbal and non– verbal interprofessional communication within a specific location in the emergency department. It requires mutual respect from all professionals involved, experience and training, and the participation of the patient and / or family to improve patient outcomes and quality patient care. A definition for the concept may encourage the implementation of person-centred handover practices in emergency departments.
... A ausência de um protocolo implementado e treinado nos serviços de APHM pode contribuir para que haja perda de informações na transferência do paciente entre os sistemas de assistência pré e intra-hospitalar. Observa-se a necessidade de padronização na transferência do paciente entre as instituições com uso de protocolo de transferência (16) . ...
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Objectives to analyze the occurrence of incidents in the context of mobile terrestrial pre-hospital care. Methods a descriptive research was carried out through the observation of 239 treatments performed by 22 healthcare professionals at the Mobile Emergency Care Service, located in Baixada Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Fisher’s exact test and chi-square test were used for data analysis. Results the total time dedicated to patient care was 439.5 hours, during which 2386 security incidents were observed. The most notable ones were related to written communication (235), patient identification through bracelets (238), and safety in medication preparation (81). Conclusions the need to promote and implement initiatives aimed at patient safety is evident, with special focus on international safety goals within the scope of mobile pre-hospital care services. Descriptors: Patient Safety; Emergency Medical Services; Ambulances; Prehospital Care; Universal Health Care
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Este estudo investiga a eficácia de diferentes escalas de alerta precoce na transferência de pacientes críticos, especialmente em contextos de alta demanda por serviços de saúde. As escalas de alerta precoce são ferramentas essenciais para identificar pacientes que necessitam de cuidados intensivos, impactando diretamente a alocação de recursos e as decisões clínicas. A pesquisa analisou 49 artigos científicos publicados entre 2019 e 2024, utilizando bases de dados PubMed, Web of Sciente, Scopus, SciSpace e Scielo, para avaliar a eficácia, limitações e aplicabilidade das escalas NEWS, NEWS2, MEWS, MEOWS e PEWS em diversos contextos clínicos e a decisão sobre a transferência e tipo de veículo. Os resultados indicam que essas ferramentas são importantes na prática clínica, influenciando significativamente as decisões e reduzindo desfechos adversos. As escalas NEWS e NEWS2 destacam-se por sua ampla aplicabilidade e eficácia na previsão de deterioração clínica, enquanto o MEWS é valorizado por sua simplicidade. O MEOWS e o PEWS foram desenvolvidos para contextos específicos, como cuidados obstétricos e pediátricos, respectivamente. No entanto, a implementação dessas escalas enfrenta desafios, como resistência organizacional e a necessidade de integrar novas tecnologias. Conclui-se que a aplicação eficaz dessas escalas pode otimizar recursos e melhorar a segurança do paciente. Recomenda-se a realização de estudos multicêntricos para validar a eficácia das escalas em diferentes contextos e a exploração de abordagens que integrem inteligência artificial, visando aprimorar a precisão na identificação de pacientes em risco. A implementação bem-sucedida dessas ferramentas pode transformar a prática clínica, proporcionando melhores cuidados e desfechos para os pacientes.
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Objective: To translate and assess the validity and reliability of the original American Care Transitions Measure, both the 15-item and the shortened 3-item versions, in a sample of people in transition from hospital to home within Sweden. Design: Translation of survey items, evaluation of psychometric properties. Setting: Ten surgical and medical wards at five hospitals in Sweden. Participants: Patients discharged from surgical and medical wards. Main outcome measure: Psychometric properties of the Swedish versions of the 15-item (CTM-15) and the 3-item (CTM-3) Care Transition Measure. Results: We compared the fit of nine models among a sample of 194 Swedish patients. Cronbach's alpha was 0.946 for CTM-15 and 0.74 for CTM-3. The model indices for CTM-15 and CTM-3 were strongly indicative of inferior goodness-of-fit between the hypothesized one-factor model and the sample data. A multidimensional three-factor model revealed a better fit compared with CTM-15 and CTM-3 one factor models. The one-factor solution, representing 4 items (CTM-4), showed an acceptable fit of the data, and was far superior to the one-factor CTM-15 and CTM-3 and the three-factor multidimensional models. The Cronbach's alpha for CTM-4 was 0.85. Conclusions: CTM-15 with multidimensional three-factor model was a better model than both CTM-15 and CTM-3 one-factor models. CTM-4 is a valid and reliable measure of care transfer among patients in medical and surgical wards in Sweden. It seems the Swedish CTM is best represented by the short Swedish version (CTM-4) unidimensional construct.
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Handoffs represent a critical transition point in patient care that play a key role in patient safety. Our quality improvement project was a descriptive observational study aimed at standardizing pediatric hospitalist handoffs via implementation of a handoff checklist, with the goal of improving handoff quality and physician satisfaction within six months. The handoff checklist was quickly adapted by hospitalists, with median compliance rate of 83% during the study. Handoff quality was assessed by trained observers using the validated Handoff Clinical Evaluation Exercise (CEX) tool at multiple time periods pre- and post-implementation (at 2, 6, 12, and 24 months). Handoff quality improved during our study, with a significant decrease in the percentage of "unsatisfactory" handoffs from 9% to 0% (p-value 0.004), an effect which was sustained after initial project completion. The cumulative time required for verbal handoffs for different attending physicians paralleled patient census. However, our project identified wasted down time between individual physician handoffs, and an intervention to change shift times led to a decrease in the average total handoff process time from 86 minutes to 60 minutes, p-value <0.001. An average of 7.4 patient care items was identified during handoffs. A physician perception survey revealed improved situational awareness, efficiency, patient safety, and physician satisfaction as a result of our handoff improvement project. In conclusion, implementation of a checklist and standardized handoff process for pediatric hospitalists improved handoff efficiency and quality, as well as physician satisfaction.
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Introduction Academic emergency department (ED) handoffs are high-risk transfer of care events. Emergency medicine residents are inadequately trained to handle these vital transitions. We aimed to explore what modifications the I-PASS (illness severity, patient summary, action list, situation awareness and contingency plans, and synthesis by receiver) handoff system requires to be effectively modified for use in ED inter-shift handoffs. Methods This mixed-method needs assessment conducted at an academic ED explored the suitability of the I-PASS system for ED handoffs. We conducted a literature review, focus groups, and then a survey. We sought to identify the distinctive elements of ED handoffs and discern how these could be incorporated into the I-PASS system. Results Focus group participants agreed the patient summary should be adapted to include anticipated disposition of patient. Participants generally endorsed the order and content of the other elements of the I-PASS tool. The survey yielded several wording changes to reflect contextual differences. Themes from all qualitative sources converged to suggest changes for brevity and clarity. Most participants agreed that the I-PASS tool would be well suited to the ED setting. Conclusion With modifications for context, brevity, and clarity, the I-PASS system may be well suited for application to the ED setting. This study provides qualitative data in support of using the I-PASS tool and concrete suggestions for how to modify the I-PASS tool for the ED. Implementation and outcome research is needed to investigate if the I-PASS tool is feasible and improves patient outcomes in the ED environment.
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Aims and objectivesTo examine the perspectives of health professionals of different disciplines about clinical handover.Background Ineffective handovers can cause major problems relating to the lack of delivery of appropriate care.DesignA prospective, cross-sectional design was conducted using a survey about clinical handover practices.Methods Health professionals employed in public metropolitan hospitals, public rural hospitals and community health centres were involved. The sample comprised doctors, nurses and allied health professionals, including physiotherapists, social workers, pharmacists, dieticians and midwives employed in Western Australia, New South Wales, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. The survey sought information about health professionals' experiences about clinical handover; their perceived effectiveness of clinical handover; involvement of patients and family members; health professionals' ability to confirm understanding and to clarify clinical information; role modelling behaviour of health professionals; training needs; adverse events encountered and possibilities for improvements.ResultsIn all, 707 health professionals participated (response rate = 14%). Represented professions were nursing (60%), medicine (22%) and allied health (18%). Many health professionals reported being aware of adverse events where they noticed poor handover was a significant cause. Differences existed between health professions in terms of how effectively they gave handover, perceived effectiveness of bedside handover vs. nonbedside handover, patient and family involvement in handover, respondents' confirmation of understanding handover from their perspective, their observation of senior health professionals giving feedback to junior health professionals, awareness of adverse events and severity of adverse events relating to poor handovers.Conclusions Complex barriers impeded the conduct of effective handovers, including insufficient opportunities for training, lack of role modelling, and lack of confidence and understanding about handover processes.Relevance to clinical practiceGreater focus should be placed on creating opportunities for senior health professionals to act as role models. Sophisticated approaches should be implemented in training and education.
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Communication failures are a significant cause of preventable medical errors, and poor-quality handoffs are associated with adverse events. We developed and implemented a simple checklist to improve communication during intraoperative transfer of patient care. A prospective observational assessment was performed to compare relay and retention of critical patient information between the outgoing and incoming anesthesiologist before and after introduction of an electronic handoff checklist. Secondary measurements included checklist usage and clinician satisfaction. Sixty-nine handoffs were observed (39 with and 30 without the checklist). Significant improvements in the frequency of information relay occurred with checklist use, most notably related to administration of vasopressors and antiemetics (85% vs 44%, P = 0.008; 46% vs 15%, P = 0.015, respectively); estimated blood loss and urine output (85% vs 57%, P = 0.014; 85% vs 52%, P = 0.006, respectively); communication about potential areas of concern (92% vs 57%, P = 0.001), postoperative planning (92% vs 43%, P < 0.001), and introduction of the relieving anesthesiologist to the operating team (51% vs 3%, P < 0.001). When queried after the handoff, relieving anesthesiologists more frequently knew the antibiotic (97% vs 75%, P = 0.020), muscle relaxant (97% vs 63%, P = 0.003), and amount of fluid administered (97% vs 72%, P = 0.008) when the checklist was used. Voluntary use of the checklist occurred in 60% of the handoffs by the end of the observation period (99% control limits: 58%-75%.). Clinicians who reported using the checklist in at least two-thirds of their handoffs reported higher satisfaction with quality of communication at handoff (P = 0.003). An electronic checklist improved relay and retention of critical patient information and clinician communication at intraoperative handoff of care.
Article
Standardized handoffs may reduce communication errors, but research on handoff in community and international settings is lacking. Our study at a community hospital in the United Arab Emirates characterizes existing handoff practices for admitted patients from emergency medicine (EM) to internal medicine (IM), develops a standardized handoff tool, and assesses its impact on communication and physician perceptions. EM physicians completed a survey regarding handoff practices and expectations. Trained observers utilized a checklist based on the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety model to observe 40 handoffs. EM and IM physicians collaboratively developed a written tool encouraging bedside handoff of admitted patients. After the intervention, surveys of EM physicians and 40 observations were subsequently repeated. 77.5% of initial observed handoffs occurred face-to-face, with 42.5% at bedside, and in four different languages. Most survey respondents considered face-to-face handoff ideal. Respondents noted 9–13 patients suffering harm due to handoff in the prior month. After handoff tool implementation, 97.5% of observed handoffs occurred face-to-face (versus 77.5%, p = 0.014), with 82.5% at bedside (versus 42.5%, p < 0.001), and all in English. Handoff was streamlined from 7 possible pathways to 3. Most post-intervention survey respondents reported improved workflow (77.8%) and safety (83.3%); none reported patient harm. Respondents and observers noted reduced inefficiency (p < 0.05). Our standardized tool increased face-to-face and bedside handoff, positively impacted workflow, and increased perceptions of safety by EM physicians in an international, non-academic setting. Our three-step approach can be applied towards developing standardized, context-specific inter-specialty handoff in a variety of settings.
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Handoff communication is identified as an integral part of hospital care. Throughout medical communities, inadequate handoff communication is being highlighted as a significant risk to patients. The complexity of hospitals and the number of providers involved in the care of hospitalized patients place inpatients at high risk of communication lapses. This miscommunication and the potential resulting harm make effective handoffs more critical than ever. Although hospitalized patients are being exposed to many handoffs each day, this report is limited to describing the best handoff practices between providers at the time of shift change.
Article
Purpose The goal of this project was to improve the process of transferring patient information between certified registered nurse anesthetists and postanesthesia care unit registered nurses using an evidence-based handoff checklist and evaluate completeness and accuracy of transferred information. Design A convenience sample of 14 certified registered nurse anesthetists and 7 registered nurses working at a single regional health system was recruited. Methods The Handoff Accuracy Scoring Tool was developed to include a pre-/postinterventional design to compare scores of verbal handoffs conducted in the preintervention phase without checklist (n = 20) and postintervention phase with checklist (n = 20). Finding An unpaired sample t test revealed that differences in scores between the preintervention phase (mean = 9.50, standard deviation = 3.36) and postintervention phase (mean = 20.9, standard deviation = 1.74) were statistically significant (t[19] = 13.21; P = .0001; 95% confidence interval = [9.59, 13.21]). Conclusions A department-specific handoff checklist can reduce the number of omission errors that may occur during patient handoff.
Article
Aims and objectives This study examined the impact of an I ntegrated N ursing H andover S ystem – structured content, a minimum data set and an electronic module within the patient clinical information system – on nurses' satisfaction with handover and changes to practice. Background Poor transfer of patient information between clinicians at handover has been associated with adverse patient outcomes. Design A mixed methods pre‐post evaluative approach was used. Methods The I ntegrated N ursing H andover S ystem was introduced and evaluated within an A ustralian hospital. Changes to nurses' satisfaction were measured using the modified Bradley Clinical Handover Survey ( n = 40 pre, n = 80 post). Three focus groups with clinicians (2) and mangers and educators (1) examined changes to clinical practice. The location of handover was observed. Results Nurses' satisfaction with handover was improved. A two stage approach to handover emerged: nurses received handover of all patients within meeting rooms followed by handover delivered at the bedside. Major categories identified through content analysis included: implementation and the transition, work practice changes and bedside handover, accessible and standardised patient information, accountability for information transfer and a central repository of patient information. Conclusion An integrated system has been implemented with positive outcomes of: improved nurse satisfaction with handover, nurses being informed about all patients, enhanced patient transfers and improved patient information for all health professionals. Further research into the potential use of stored patient handover data for research is recommended. Relevance to clinical practice This comprehensive system of nursing handover represents the first integrated system of this nature ever reported in the nursing and health literature. This integrated nursing handover system has been successfully implemented resulting in delivery of more comprehensive, logical and standardised patient information at handover.