Communication is key. Communication breakdown is the leading cause of medical errors, such as gaps in healthcare, incomplete or missing information and medication errors. Most importantly, communication supports the foundation of patient care. Therefore, hand-off reporting during a shift change is a critical process that is necessary in protecting the safety of a patient. Throughout the hand-off period, it is vital to provide accurate, up-to-date and pertinent information to the oncoming provider.

The Joint Commission recently took aim at hand-off communication, the critical passing of key patient information from one clinician to the next clinician caring for that patient. Communication failures were at least partly responsible for 30 percent of all malpractice claims and resulted in 1,744 deaths and $1.7 billion in malpractice costs over five years, a 2015 study found.

Even with widespread use of Health Information Technology (HIT), the problem continues to exist. The Joint Commission issued a Sentinel Event Alert to provide seven recommendations to vastly improve hand-offs (listed below).

  1. Organizational leaders must commit to improvement
  2. Critical content must be standardized
  3. Settings must support direct and undistracted communication
  4. Staff need standardized training on best practices for hand-offs
  5. EHR capabilities, other technologies can assist hand-offs
  6. Organizations should monitor results of hand-off interventions
  7. Organization must sustain the improvement process

Learn more about the seven critical steps.
Read The Joint Commission’s Sentinel Event Alert.

Communication and improving care coordination leads to better patient outcomes, overall satisfaction and reduces avoidable hospital admissions. Great Plains QIN is partnering with communities throughout the region to unite stakeholders, consumers and healthcare providers to improve communication and care coordination – resulting in reduced hospital admissions, readmissions and medication harm.