Joint Commission journal on quality and patient safety / Joint Commission Resources
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Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf · Feb 2010
ReviewPatient handoffs: standardized and reliable measurement tools remain elusive.
Numerous quality improvement projects on patient handoffs have been conducted, yet standardized, reliable measurement tools remain elusive. ⋯ The diversity of handoff measurement approaches suggests a lack of consensus about the primary purpose of a handoff, as well as about what interventions are most promising for improving handoff processes. Recognizing that there are simultaneously multiple purposes for handoffs is a critical precursor to quality improvement.
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Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf · Feb 2010
The Veterans Affairs shift change physician-to-physician handoff project.
Few studies on the safety or efficacy of current patient handoff systems exist, and few standardized electronic medical record (EMR)-based handoff tools are available. An EMR handoff tool was designed to provide a standardized approach to handoff communications and improve on previous handoff methods. ⋯ This standardized EMR-based handoff software improved data accuracy and content consistency, was well-received by users, and improved perceptions of handoff-related patient safety, quality, and efficiency. A final version of the software was incorporated into the national EMR software program and made available to all VAMCs.
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Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf · Feb 2010
Improved physician work flow after integrating sign-out notes into the electronic medical record.
In recent years, electronic sign-out notes have been identified as a means of enhancing the effective transfer of patient care between providers. Such a tool was developed and implemented within the electronic medical record (EMR) system, and its impact on physician work flow was assessed. ⋯ EMR-integrated sign-out documents offer the advantages of other electronic network-accessible systems and can also incorporate information already in the medical record in an automated manner. Although the primary motivation for introducing standardized, EMR-integrated sign-out documents is to enhance the safety of patient handoffs, the perception of improved physician work flow is also a benefit of such an intervention.