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Fine-tune your handoff communication processes

Accreditation Connection, April 16, 2007

The Joint Commission examines handoff communication in the 2007 NPSG FAQs released in February in an attempt to help hospitals better comply with NPSG #2E.

The FAQs cover a lot of ground regarding handoffs, but they emphasize the following main points:

• Handoff processes must be standardized for similar settings or functions (e.g., similar nursing units) and within similar handoff situations (e.g., nurse-to-nurse or nurse-to-transporter)
  
• Although a written policy is not required, the handoff process must be defined and communicated to staff
  
• Handoffs must allow for "an opportunity to ask and respond to questions" which, for all practical purposes, requires a face-to-face or person-to-person "interactive" conversation
  
• The standardization of the physician-to-physician handoff process or approach is just as crucial as nurse-to-nurse or any other type of handoff
  
• Hospitalists must receive handoff information for all patients for whom they have accepted responsibility

"The Joint Commission is really looking for a standardized approach on how you are going to educate staff to consistently deliver the appropriate hand-off communication," says John Rosing, MHA, FACHE, practice director of accreditation and regulatory services for The Greeley Company.

Access the full story in the April issue of Briefings on The Joint Commission; access is free for subscribers, nonsubscribers can sign up for a 30-day free trial of BOJExtra! or purchase a copy of the story for $10 by clicking here.

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