Improving resident handoff can help reduce the number of medical errors and preventable adverse events, according to a study in New England Journal of Medicine.
Researchers implemented a handoff program in nine hospitals that included a mnemonic to standardize oral and written handoffs, handoff and communication training, a faculty development and observation program, and a sustainability campaign.
During the intervention period, the hospitals experienced 10,740 patient admissions. The medical error rate fell from 24.5 medical errors per 100 admissions in the preintervention period to 18.8 medical errors per 100 admissions in the postintervention period, a 23 percent decrease.
Additionally, the rate of preventable adverse events also fell by 30 percent from preintervention (4.7 events per 100 admissions) to postintervention (3.3 events per 100 admissions).
Researchers noted that the duration of overall handoffs did not change significantly from preintervention to postintervention, and neither did resident workflow, patient-family contact time and time spent on the computer.
Researchers concluded that the handoff program reduced medical errors and preventable adverse events without negatively affecting workflow.
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