8 tips for high-quality hand-offs from The Joint Commission

Proper communication between healthcare providers is crucial for effective patient hand-offs.

Here are 8 tips to ensure high-quality handoffs, according to an infographic from The Joint Commission.

1. Determine critical information that must be communicated face-to-face and in writing.

  1. Standardize the tools and methods used to communicate with receivers, including forms, checklists, protocols and patient summaries.

  1. Don't rely on electronic or paper communications for hand-offs. If face-to-face communication is not possible, clinicians should discuss the hand-off by phone or video conference.

  1. If patient information is coming from various sources, combine the materials and communicate the information to the receiver all at once.

  2. Provide the following information to the receiver:

  • Sender contact information
  • An assessment of illness assessment, including severity
  • A summary of events including occurrences leading up to the patient's illness or admission, hospital course through discharge, an ongoing assessment and a plan of care
  • To-do action list
  • Contingency plans
  • Allergy list
  • Code status
  • Medication list
  • Dated laboratory tests
  • Dated vital signs
  1. Conduct the hand-off or sign-out through a face-to-face interaction in a designated location free from interruptions.

  1. Involve all team members during the hand-off, including the patient and family, if appropriate.

  1. Use EHR records, patient portals, medical apps and telehealth services to enhance the hand-off process.

For more information on improving hand-offs from The Joint Commission, click here.

More articles on infection control and clinical quality:

5 thoughts from MD Anderson CMO Dr. Karen Lu on caring for patients and employees in Harvey's aftermath
Study: Prospectively registered clinical trials more likely to be published
Frequent disinfectant use among nurses linked to increase in risk of developing COPD

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars