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7 critical steps in improving clinical staff hand-offs<\/h2>
This week, the Joint Commission took aim at hand-off communication, the critical passing of key patient information that occurs when clinicians leave at the end of their shift and pass on responsibility for patient care to the next shift.Communication failures were at least partly responsible for 30 percent of all malpractice claims, and resulted in 1,744 deaths and $1.7 billion in malpractice costs over five years, a 2015 study found. Widespread IT use has not solved the problem. The Joint Commission issued a Sentinel Event Alert to provide seven recommendations for hospitals and other healthcare settings to vastly improve hand-offs.<\/p>

Organization leaders must commit to improvement<\/h2>
Leaders are highly visible, and they must demonstrate action to improve systems that support hand-offs. \u2022\tDon\u2019t just single out individual errors.\u2022\tProvide support, time and budget to hand-off improvement initiatives.<\/p>

Critical content must be standardized<\/h2>
Organizations should narrow down what needs to be communicated during transition times\u2014both verbally and in written form, potentially through IT systems.\u2022\tInclude everything needed to safely care for patients in a timely fashion.\u2022\tStandardize tools and methods (forms, templates, checklists, protocols, etc.)\u2022\tAvoid the exclusive use of electronic or paper communications; allow person-to-person interaction.<\/p>

Settings should support direct, undistracted communication<\/h2>
Effective hand-offs require a consistent location and time for communication.\u2022\tOffer communication channels for those going off shift, and those coming on, to contact each other, perhaps by cell phone or text.\u2022\tInvolve patients and their families in the process, but don\u2019t rely on them to communication vital information.<\/p>

Staff need standardized training on hand-off best practices<\/h2>
Education must look at best practices for both the \u201csender\u201d and \u201creceiver\u201d of patient information.\u2022\tEngage in practices that emphasize real-time observation and performance feedback.\u2022\tIdentify those who are good at hand-offs and can teach the skills.\u2022\tEmphasize teamwork and staff commitment.<\/p>

EHR capabilities, other technologies can assist hand-offs<\/h2>
Organizations must take full advantage of electronic health records system and supporting technologies\u2014such as apps, patient portals and telehealth\u2014to enhance hand-offs.\u2022\tInclude standardized handoffs in workflows and incorporate it into the EHR.\u2022\tPortals can provide backup by giving patients\/families access to records, prescriptions, lab and diagnostic results.<\/p>

Organizations should monitor results of hand-off interventions <\/h2>
Appropriate managers should be tasked with measuring the success of new procedures to improve hand-off communications, engaging analytics to assist them.\u2022\tUse lessons learned to drive further improvement.\u2022\tMeasure causes of poor hand-offs and eliminate them; collect data from across the organization to improve its systems.<\/p>

The organization must sustain the improvement process<\/h2>
Executives can\u2019t stop after early gains\u2014the organization must spread best practices and make continued improvement a cultural priority.\u2022\tDrive toward consistent use of high-quality practices.\u2022\tImplement systems to gather information and reinforce longitudinal monitoring.<\/p>

For more information<\/h2>
The Joint Commission has more information and a downloadable copy of the alert here<\/a>.<\/p>

","saveContent":"

7 critical steps in improving clinical staff hand-offs<\/h2>
This week, the Joint Commission took aim at hand-off communication, the critical passing of key patient information that occurs when clinicians leave at the end of their shift and pass on responsibility for patient care to the next shift.Communication failures were at least partly responsible for 30 percent of all malpractice claims, and resulted in 1,744 deaths and $1.7 billion in malpractice costs over five years, a 2015 study found. Widespread IT use has not solved the problem. The Joint Commission issued a Sentinel Event Alert to provide seven recommendations for hospitals and other healthcare settings to vastly improve hand-offs.<\/p>

Organization leaders must commit to improvement<\/h2>
Leaders are highly visible, and they must demonstrate action to improve systems that support hand-offs. \u2022\tDon\u2019t just single out individual errors.\u2022\tProvide support, time and budget to hand-off improvement initiatives.<\/p>

Critical content must be standardized<\/h2>
Organizations should narrow down what needs to be communicated during transition times\u2014both verbally and in written form, potentially through IT systems.\u2022\tInclude everything needed to safely care for patients in a timely fashion.\u2022\tStandardize tools and methods (forms, templates, checklists, protocols, etc.)\u2022\tAvoid the exclusive use of electronic or paper communications; allow person-to-person interaction.<\/p>

Settings should support direct, undistracted communication<\/h2>
Effective hand-offs require a consistent location and time for communication.\u2022\tOffer communication channels for those going off shift, and those coming on, to contact each other, perhaps by cell phone or text.\u2022\tInvolve patients and their families in the process, but don\u2019t rely on them to communication vital information.<\/p>

Staff need standardized training on hand-off best practices<\/h2>
Education must look at best practices for both the \u201csender\u201d and \u201creceiver\u201d of patient information.\u2022\tEngage in practices that emphasize real-time observation and performance feedback.\u2022\tIdentify those who are good at hand-offs and can teach the skills.\u2022\tEmphasize teamwork and staff commitment.<\/p>

EHR capabilities, other technologies can assist hand-offs<\/h2>
Organizations must take full advantage of electronic health records system and supporting technologies\u2014such as apps, patient portals and telehealth\u2014to enhance hand-offs.\u2022\tInclude standardized handoffs in workflows and incorporate it into the EHR.\u2022\tPortals can provide backup by giving patients\/families access to records, prescriptions, lab and diagnostic results.<\/p>

Organizations should monitor results of hand-off interventions <\/h2>
Appropriate managers should be tasked with measuring the success of new procedures to improve hand-off communications, engaging analytics to assist them.\u2022\tUse lessons learned to drive further improvement.\u2022\tMeasure causes of poor hand-offs and eliminate them; collect data from across the organization to improve its systems.<\/p>

The organization must sustain the improvement process<\/h2>
Executives can\u2019t stop after early gains\u2014the organization must spread best practices and make continued improvement a cultural priority.\u2022\tDrive toward consistent use of high-quality practices.\u2022\tImplement systems to gather information and reinforce longitudinal monitoring.<\/p>

For more information<\/h2>
The Joint Commission has more information and a downloadable copy of the alert here<\/a>.<\/p>

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Organization leaders must commit to improvement<\/h2>Leaders are highly visible, and they must demonstrate action to improve systems that support hand-offs. \u2022\tDon\u2019t just single out individual errors.\u2022\tProvide support, time and budget to hand-off improvement initiatives.<\/p>

For more information<\/h2>The Joint Commission has more information and a downloadable copy of the alert here<\/a>.<\/p>","saveContent":"

Organization leaders must commit to improvement<\/h2>Leaders are highly visible, and they must demonstrate action to improve systems that support hand-offs. \u2022\tDon\u2019t just single out individual errors.\u2022\tProvide support, time and budget to hand-off improvement initiatives.<\/p>

For more information<\/h2>

Organization leaders must commit to improvement<\/h2>
Leaders are highly visible, and they must demonstrate action to improve systems that support hand-offs. \u2022\tDon\u2019t just single out individual errors.\u2022\tProvide support, time and budget to hand-off improvement initiatives.<\/p>

For more information<\/h2>
The Joint Commission has more information and a downloadable copy of the alert here<\/a>.<\/p>

","saveContent":"

Organization leaders must commit to improvement<\/h2>
Leaders are highly visible, and they must demonstrate action to improve systems that support hand-offs. \u2022\tDon\u2019t just single out individual errors.\u2022\tProvide support, time and budget to hand-off improvement initiatives.<\/p>

For more information<\/h2>
The Joint Commission has more information and a downloadable copy of the alert here<\/a>.<\/p>

","order":0,"get_parent":{},"attributes":[],"attributesType":{"content":{"type":"string","source":"raw"},"lock":{"type":"object"}},"dynamicContent":""}]

7 critical steps in improving clinical staff hand-offs

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