Patient Handoffs in Obstetrics and Gynecology: A Vital Link in Patient Safety

Abstract

Inadequate patient handoffs have been an area of focus for patient safety improvement. Insufficient communication and risks or “shortcuts” taken by staff members during handoffs could negatively affect the safety of patients in a department of obstetrics and gynecology. Other factors that contribute to inadequate handoffs are the caregiver feeling fatigued or stressed, level of urgency, volume of information, language barriers, noise, lighting, ambiguity of describing treatment, not allotting enough time for questions asked, and/or interruptions from other staff members. There have been several methods developed for improving the handoff process, such as the mnemonic devices SBAR, SHARQ, I PASS THE BATON, and the 5 P's. A new method for improving the quality of patient handoffs has been developed and presented in this article. It is a mnemonic device entitled “HANDOFFS”. It covers key aspects of what a handoff process should entail. Teamwork is essential to effective communication, and by using a mnemonic such as this, team members can work together in a more positive and accessible environment that will result in improved patient safety.