Developing a minimum data set for electronic nursing handover.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Informatics
• Clinical Communication
• Healthcare Systems Engineering

Background:

• Poor communication during patient handover is linked to adverse events.
• Improving clinical handover is crucial for patient safety.
• This study addresses the need for standardized electronic handover tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a minimum data set for an electronic patient summary tool.
• To complement verbal nursing handover processes.
• To identify essential information for effective patient handovers.

Main Methods:

• Observational study design.
• Digital recording and analysis of 195 patient handovers.
• Content analysis of handover information against a generic data set.

Main Results:

• Nursing Handover Minimum Data Set items were frequently used across specialties.
• Data set item usage varied based on patient context and clinical setting.
• Specific refinements are needed for aged care, emergency, mental health, and maternity settings.

Conclusions:

• The generic Nursing Handover Minimum Data Set guides comprehensive patient reporting.
• The data set requires flexibility to adapt to diverse patient contexts and settings.
• This minimum data set serves as a framework for electronic system development and nursing education.