Electronic Standardized Handoff for Anesthesia Providers: An Evidence-Based Quality Improvement Initiative
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Date
2024-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
Communication errors have been identified as a contributing cause of patient harm and death in healthcare. Handoffs of care are error-prone and a source of risk. The initiative implementation organization reports an average of four communication errors per month related to intraoperative handoff of care. The literature identified that intraoperative handoff of anesthesia care is associated with worse patient outcomes and that standardization of the process can improve quality of handoff as well as provider satisfaction. The purpose of this initiative is to implement an intraoperative standardized handoff for anesthesia providers; with the goal to decrease variation in handoffs, improve communication, and improve provider satisfaction. This evidence-based quality improvement initiative was designed as a staged roll-out for intraoperative anesthesia providers to use an organizational derived handoff tool at ten anesthesia sites. Participants included certified registered nurse anesthetists, anesthesia residents and anesthesia assistants. Participants filled out a pre-implementation and post-implementation Qualtrics survey. Improvements were shown in provider satisfaction with the new handoff process, as well as increased use of a standardized handoff process. Pre-implementation the site averaged one communication error related to handoff per quarter. Post-implementation, zero communication errors were reported for the data collection quarter. Initiative findings show an increase in the use of a standardized handoff, improved satisfaction, and decreased communication errors. This initiative was well received and has the potential to lead to improvements in intraoperative anesthesia handoff of care once implemented to more anesthesia sites with improved compliance.
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Keywords
anesthesia, handoff, intraoperative, standardized handoff