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Handoff Communication In Health Care

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Health care professionals have multiple responsibilities and one among them is ability to transfer patient information or handoff to another healthcare provider. Clear and accurate handoff communication between healthcare providers of operating room team is an integral part to patient safety. Exchange of patient information occurs many times a day and are vulnerable to communication errors that may negatively impact patient safety. In fact, poor communication is one of the reported cause of sentinel events within United States hospitals and is at high risk often among surgical patients than in any other clinical specialty. Surgical patients move from perioperative to intraoperative to post-operative areas and transition between these specific points requires effective communication. Rapid turnovers are most often vulnerable to communication errors that could lead to fatal implications.
Handoff communication is defined as “The transfer of information during transition in care across continuum; to include opportunity to ask question, clarify and confirm. The handoff communication of patient information in anesthesia practice ensures continuity of care and patient safety. Handoff communication was designated as a quality care indicator by …show more content…

Barrier to handoff communication is the number of individuals involved in patient care according to a study conducted a surgical patient sees an average of 26 health providers during their hospital stay. As patient transits each complex phase of care in an operating room each team of care givers with different types of responsibilities and objectives it is very important to deliver effective communication among health providers to reduce adverse

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