Effect of on patient safety of bedside handoff performed in intensive care units. Systematic review

Abstract

Intensive care units (ICU) are complex environments for the communication process between professionals. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the impact of bedside handoff among ICU nursing professionals on patient safety. A bibliographic search (2016-2021) was made of health science databases, in line with the PRISMA statement guidelines. The quality of the studies was assessed according to the type of study to be evaluated (STROBE, CASPe and TREND). Fifteen articles were included in the review. They show that the bedside handoff benefits for the safety of nursing professionals (reduces distractions, offers greater precision and prevents loss of information) and for patients (they can check that the information transmitted is true, and be in-volved in their own recovery process) outweigh any stress or loss of privacy that may arise.