Perioperative Patient Handoffs: Getting it Right
Formed in 2015, the Perioperative Multi-Center Handoff Collaborative (handoffs.org) is supported by the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation’s (APSF), as a special interest group, to address one of its 2018 Patient Safety Priorities – Patient-related Communication Issues, Handoffs and Transitions in Care.
Mission:
- To build the evidence base and implement strategies and tactics capable of eliminating unintended harms attributable to poor communication and teamwork during perioperative handovers
Aims:
- Understand the current state of perioperative handovers from all stakeholders
- Publish generalizable knowledge to advance perioperative handovers
- Organize and execute multi-center studies with human factors and implementation scientists
- Develop training material for medical education at the undergraduate, graduate and licensed practioneer levels
Handoff Resources:
The MHC is currently developing perioperative handoff resources for anesthesia and other healthcare professionals:
- Handoff Education Database
- “Consensus Recommendations for the Conduct, Training, Implementation, and Research of Perioperative Handoffs” published in May 2019 issue of Anesthesia and Analgesia.