Improving Medical Handover: An SHO-Led Approach to Implementing A Formalized Handover System



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Submitted Oct 20, 2021
Published Nov 14, 2021
10.24018/ejmed.2021.3.6.1114

Abstract viewed = 497 times

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Handover is a high-risk exercise. As the number of doctors in hospitals vary between shifts, continuity of care must be secured from many professionals down to a few. Literature has repeatedly shown that handover time is when the greatest number of medical errors occur [1]. Tasks may be inefficiently handover over, mis-represented or forgotten entirely. We have shared perspectives from a quality improvement (QI) project undertaken at the William Harvey Hospital, Kent, United Kingdom towards ensuring safe and smooth handover of medical tasks between shifts at the acute medical department in this hospital.

Keywords: Handover, medical shifts, patient safety, team communication

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References

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