Multi-professional patterns and methods of communication during patient handoffs

Area of Science:

• Healthcare communication
• Health information technology
• Social network analysis

Background:

• Health information technology (HIT) impacts healthcare provider communication patterns.
• Understanding communication during patient handoffs is crucial in acute care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how healthcare providers communicate and exchange patient clinical information during inter-unit handoffs.
• To identify communication patterns and influential roles within patient handoff networks.

Main Methods:

• Social network analysis (SNA) was used to map communication patterns in five patient handoffs.
• Questionnaires assessed communication methods, preferences, satisfaction, and improvement suggestions.
• Network size ranged from 11 to 20 providers per handoff.

Main Results:

• Communication involved both synchronous (verbal, in-person) and asynchronous (written, electronic) methods.
• No single profession dominated; influential providers from nursing, medicine, or pharmacy coordinated information.
• 84% of providers preferred verbal communication; satisfaction varied by unit.

Conclusions:

• Provider communication during handoffs is complex and non-linear.
• Findings support designing health information technology to complement existing provider behaviors.
• Further research can optimize network structures for better information dissemination.