Articles: handoffs.
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Effective handoff communication is critical for patient safety. Research is needed to understand how information processes occurring intra-shift impact handoff effectiveness. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine medical-surgical nurses' (n = 21) perspectives about processes that promote and hinder patient safety intra-shift and during handoff. ⋯ However, intra-shift disruptions often impeded nurses in their processes to grasp the story thus posing risks to patient safety. Improvement efforts need to target the different processes involved in grasping the story and painting a full picture. Future research needs to examine handoff practices and outcomes on units with good and poor practice environments.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
The 5Cs of Consultation: Training Medical Students to Communicate Effectively in the Emergency Department.
Effective communication is critical for health care professionals, particularly in the Emergency Department (ED). However, currently, there is no standardized consultation model that is consistently practiced by physicians or used for training medical graduates. Recently, the 5Cs of Consultation model (Contact, Communicate, Core Question, Collaborate, and Close the Loop) has been studied in Emergency Medicine residents using simulated consultation scenarios. ⋯ Medical students can be trained to use the 5Cs model in a timely, inexpensive, and convenient manner and increase effectiveness of physician consultations originating from the ED.
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The clinical handover of critically ill postoperative patients from the operating theatre to the intensive care unit is a dynamic and complex process that can lead to communication and technical errors. The objectives of this integrative review were to illustrate how the use of structured handover processes between the operating theatre and intensive care unit impacts information transfer, handover duration, post-handover technical error and high risk events. ⋯ The body of literature on clinical handover between operating theatre and the intensive care unit is in its early stages of development. Future research using rigorous study designs, broader populations and varied surgical procedures are needed to further evaluate the effect of clinical handover protocols.
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Medical errors occur following handoff-related miscommunication. Data regarding the effect on patient-centered outcomes, specifically mortality, are lacking. Our objective was to investigate handoff-related mortality and the effect of duty-hour regulations. ⋯ Resident transition in care was significantly associated with an increase in unadjusted and adjusted hospital mortality. Although improved by 2011 ACGME duty-hour amendments, a trend toward higher mortality remained following resident handoff.
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The topic of patient safety has received much attention in recent years. There are a number of areas in which the subject of patient safety impacts respiratory care practice. This paper focuses on articles published in 2014 related to pressure injury, handoffs, protocols and multidisciplinary teams, perioperative obstructive sleep apnea, and readmissions.