3 Tips for Effective Clinical Handovers Hospitals need to have proper measures in place to ensure a seamless patient handover process for continuity of care and patient safety. A handoff - also known as handover, sign-out, signover, cross-coverage, or shift report –refers to the transfer of information of a patient who is transitioning from one physician to another. Outsourcing medical transcription helps health care providers produce the electronic component of handoffs. Clinical handoffs are a frequent and unavoidable aspect of care, and if theygo wrong, it can compromise patient care and safety. Clinical handoffs are considered to be one of the riskiest procedures in hospitals since they are prone to errors due to breakdown in communication between providers. Many studies point out that ineffective communication among health care professionals is one of the major causes of medical errors and patient harm.
Here are three ways to make clinical handoffs safer and more effective:
Ensure accurate, clear, concise and complete written signouts o
I-PASS signout is regarded as the gold standard for effective signout communication between physicians.
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It can improve the quality of nursing handoffs.
Convey the relevant informationand unique needs of the patient during the handoff
Take necessary steps to improve communication during handoffs, which includes: o
Discussions in an environment without distractions
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Maintaining confidentiality
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Using standardized medical terminology
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Assigning responsibility to a primary person or team.
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Using proper methods of communication – can be verbal or written communication, or both.
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Documenting relevant information - such as demographic, history, physical exam results, an active problem list, and so on.
It is critical for healthcare organizations to ensure that clinical care teams have the necessary procedures and protocol in place to ensure a seamless handoff process. Ensuring effective clinician-to-clinician communication when transitioning patients between care settings is crucial to promote continuity of care, eradicate preventable errors, and improve patient safety. Outsourcing medical transcription is an effective strategy to ease documentation workload and help clinicians finds more time to engage in discussions and manage patient care and handoffs effectively.
To learn more, check out our blog: Tips to Make Patient Handoffs Safer and More Effective
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918-221-7801