Implementing a multifaceted handoff bundle may reduce medical errors and improve verbal and written handoff processes without interrupting resident work flow, according to a study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
The study, conducted at Boston Children's Hospital, had residents incorporate a new handoff bundle in the study units. The bundle consisted of handoff training, using a mnemonic device to standardize verbal handoffs and a new team handoff structure that integrated interns and residents with occasional oversight by an attending or chief resident.
Pre-intervention rates of medical error were 33.8 out of 100 patients, while post-intervention rates of medical error fell to 18.3 out of 100 patients, a 45.8 percent reduction.
The time residents spent on computerized handoff documents and verbal handoffs did not significantly change.
Authors of the study suggest that further improvements and standardizations of the handoff process may lead to improved patient care quality and safety.
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