Improving communication during transfer of care By: Rebecca Tiernan, BCNS

Improving Communication During Transfer of Care Ineffective and inefficient communication through the patient transfer processes can increase the chance of medical errors. Improvements in such processes are high-priority local institutional and national patient safety goals. (Gleich, Nemergut, Stans,  Haile, Feigal, Heinrich, Bosley, & Tripathi, 2016)

Barriers to effective communication during transfers Lack of experience Limited time Change in shifts Too many patients Lots of paperwork No control of time patients sent No reconciliation Missing vital information Pending information not clear Discharge summaries not available

Importance of Effective Communication in Healthcare Allows coming together for the needs of the patients. Creates a sense of cohesiveness and teamwork. Clearly identifies the patient needs. Provides for safe patient care. Success demands team-based approaches that are centered on close collaboration among all types of providers across the continuum. (Gordon, Deland & Kelly, 2015).

Importance of Effective Communication in Healthcare Intercommunication among different units forms an integral part of hospital health care services especially in emergency situations when time is of the essence. Hospitals should have protocols or guidelines to follow when shifting patients from one unit to the other. During this time nursing staff communication is crucial and should be without any break.

Importance of Effective Communication in Healthcare Nurses who communicate well with their coworkers tend to witness an improvement in morale as well as job satisfaction.

Making improvements Efforts to improve the quality of patient transfers must enhance both the quality of verbal and written communication.

Making improvements Effective transfers require an environment free of interruptions and distractions to allow the receiving clinician to actively listen and engage in discussion when necessary.

Utilize the I-Pass Mnemonic The I-PASS Mnemonic has been proven to reduce the incidence of preventable adverse events associated with handoffs and transfers. I-PASS stands for: Illness severity: one word summary of patient acuity (Stable/Unstable) Patient Summary: brief summary of the patient’s diagnoses and treatment plan Action list: to-do items to be completed by the clinician receiving transfer Situation awareness and contingency plans: directions to follow in case of changes in patient status Synthesis by receiver: an opportunity for the receiver to ask questions and confirm plan of care (PSNet, 2018)

implementation Making positive strides toward more complete and effective communication is a team effort and is necessary for maintaining patient safety during transfers and handoffs. Each member of the healthcare team has a responsibility and duty to be certain that all necessary communication is conveyed clearly and received properly. Enhanced communication leads to improvement in client satisfaction, stress reduction as well as optimized patient safety.

REFERENCES Gleich, S., Nemergut, M., Stans, A., Haile, D., Feigal, S., & Heinrich, A. (2016, August). Improvement in patient transfer process from the operating room to the picu using a lean and six sigma-based quality improvement project. Hospital Pediatrics. 6(6). Retrieved from hosppeds.aappublications.org/content/6/8/483 Gorden, J., Deland E., Kelly, R. (2015, June 22). Let’s talk about improving communication in healthcare. Columbia Medical Review, 1(1), 23-37. Retrieved from https://medicalreview.columbia.edu/article/communication-healthcare/ PSNet, (2018, August). Handoffs and signouts. Patient Safety Primer. Retrieved from https://psnet.ahrq.gov/primers/primer/9/handoffs-and-signouts .