Guidelines for Patient Handoffs Among Residents and Physician Assistants
These guidelines ensure that communication handoffs among residents and physician assistants are standardized, contain accurate information about a patient’s care and make for a seamless transition in the management of the patient. Implementing a standardized approach to handoffs is a component of the JCAHO’s National Patient Safety Goal #2: Improve the effectiveness of communication among caregivers.
Keep these guidelines in mind when handing off a patient:
• Each patient handoff must be an interactive communication between the outgoing and incoming caregiver that includes both a written and verbal component.
• All handoffs require verbal communication, although not every patient needs to be discussed during that communication.
• In contrast, each patient requires a written “sign-out.”
• Each handoff should be performed as a face-to-face interaction when possible. If a face-to-face handoff is not feasible, then it should occur via telephone.
• E-mail or voicemail by itself is not an acceptable manner of handing off.
• Handoffs should occur in a quiet, private place to minimize the possibility that information will be lost or overheard by those other than the intended recipients.