This paper discusses how we have improved patient handover by implementing an electronic system for weekend handover. We discuss the process of changing handover methods and the results of an audit comparing our old paper based book versus our new ‘e-handover’ system.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
WhittN, HarveyR, McLeodG, How many health professionals does a patient see during an average hospital stay?N Z Med J2007;120:U2517
2.
BorrowitzSM, Waggoner-FountainLa, BassaEJ, Adequacy of information transferred at resident sign-out (in-hospital handover of care): a prospective survey. Qual Saf Health Care2008;17:4–5
3.
HorwitzLI, MoinT, KrumholzHM, Consequences of Inadequate sign-out for Patient Care. Arch Intern Med2008;168:1755–60
4.
BellCM, Rahimi-DarabadP, OmerAI. Discontinuity of chronic medications in patients discharged from the intensive care unit. J Gen Intern Med2006;21:937–41
5.
MooreC, WisniveskyJ, WilliamsS, Medical errors related to discontinuity from an inpatient to an outpatient setting. J Gen Intern Med2003;18:646–51
6.
RoyCL, PoonEG, KarsonAL, Patient safety concerns arising from test results return after hospital discharge. Ann Intern Med2005;143:121–8
7.
LofgrenRP, GottliebD, WilliamsRA, Post-call transfer of resident responsibility: its effect on patient care. J Gen Intern Med1990:5:501–5
8.
Bridgelal RamM, CarpenterI, WilliamsJ. Reducing risk and improving the quality of patient care in hospital:the contribution of standardized medical records. Clinic Risk2009;15:183–7
9.
BhabraG, MackeithS, MonteiroP, An experimental comparison of handover methods. Ann R Coll Surg Eng. 2007;89:298–300
10.
FerranNA, MetcalfeAJ, O'DohertyD. Standardised proformas improve patient handover: Audit of trauma handover practice. Patient Safety in Surgery2008;2:24
11.
FerranNA, MetcalfeAJ. Audit of Handover Practice. Ann R Coll Surg Engl2008;90:350
12.
World Health Organization. Solutions to prevent health care-related harm – Launches of ‘Nine patient Safety Solutions’. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2007. See http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr22/en/index.html (last checked August 2010)
13.
British Medical Association. Safe handover: safe patients. London: BMA, 2004. See http://www.bma.org.uk/images/safehandover_tcm41-20983.pdf (last checked October 2010)
14.
NHS Digital and Health Information Policy Directorate. A Clinician's Guide to Record Standards – Part 2: Standards for the structure and content of medical records and communications when patients are being admitted to hospital. London: NHS Digital and Health Information Policy Directorate, 2008
15.
RaptisDA, FernandesC, ChuaW, Electronic software significantly improves quality of handover in a London teaching hospital. Health Informatics J2009;15:191–8
16.
MaticJ, DavidsonPM, SalamonsonY. Review: bringing patient safety to the forefront through structured computerization during clinical handover. J Clin Nurs2010(Epublication ahead of print)
17.
National Institute for Health and Clinical Evidence. How to change practice: understand, identify and overcome barriers to change. London: NICE, 2007
18.
WongMC, TurnerP, YeeKC. Involving clinicians in the development of an electronic clinical handover system – thinking systems not just technology. Stud Health Technol Inform2008;136:490–5