10 ways to improves handoffs
Hospitalist Leadership Connection, February 16, 2010
In a recent study, The University of Chicago made recommendations to improve hospitalist handoffs. A February 8 article in HealthLeaders Media outlines those tips as the following:
- Have a quiet room to conduct handoffs
- Reduce interruptions by only responding to emergency pages
- Set aside time for handoffs an hour before shifts end
- Use templates for sign-outs
- Ask and invite questions during handoffs
- Review every patient on the list
- Prioritize sickest patients first
- Explain the rationale behind the information you provide
- Avoid nonstandard abbreviations
- Use if-then scenarios (If the patient responds with X, perform Y)
“Handoffs were once seen simply as the last thing physicians did before leaving the hospital. Now, more physicians realize it's a skill that needs to be taught, practiced, assessed, and improved upon,” states the article.
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