RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Are weekend handovers of adequate quality for the on-call general medical team?
JF Clinical Medicine
JO Clin Med
FD Royal College of Physicians
SP 536
OP 540
DO 10.7861/clinmedicine.11-6-536
VO 11
IS 6
A1 Paul E Pfeffer
A1 Dilip Nazareth
A1 Norman Main
A1 Sarah Hardoon
A1 Aklak B Choudhury
YR 2011
UL http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/11/6/536.abstract
AB Weekend handover is vital for patient safety–poor handover is a cause of avoidable adverse events. This study evaluated whether the quality of information handed over for patients requiring weekend review was adequate. Two external doctors imagined themselves as the doctor on-call and judged whether the handed-over information was adequate for each case. Of the 1,130 handovers evaluated, 867 were handed over using a computerised proforma and discussed at the handover meeting, 148 using the computerised proforma but not discussed, 30 handovers were handwritten. Of handovers of patient details and background information, 87.3% were judged of adequate quality by the first auditor and 86.0% by the second. Similarly 70.6% and 75.8% of handovers of action plans were of adequate quality. Use of computerised proforma and discussion at a handover meeting gave the highest percentage of handovers of adequate quality, however, there was room for improvement. Training in handover may improve communication.