Handover process: how to improve quality and safety through an ergonomic solution

Area of Science:

• Healthcare quality improvement
• Human-computer interaction
• Qualitative research methods

Background:

• Healthcare handovers are critical for patient safety but are context-sensitive.
• Existing handover solutions may not fully capture implicit practices or practitioner needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the use of cultural probes in understanding healthcare handover processes.
• To identify implicit activity patterns and tools that can inform effective handover solution design.
• To promote healthcare practitioner involvement in developing handover interventions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized cultural probes as a qualitative research technique.
• Focused on eliciting implicit information regarding handover activities and tools.
• Engaged healthcare practitioners to foster participation and involvement.

Main Results:

• Identified implicit activity patterns relevant to handover.
• Uncovered potential tools and resources that can be leveraged for handover solutions.
• Demonstrated the value of cultural probes in engaging healthcare practitioners.

Conclusions:

• Cultural probes are effective in eliciting tacit knowledge for handover improvement.
• This approach can lead to more contextually appropriate and user-centered handover solutions.
• Engaging practitioners through methods like cultural probing is key to successful patient safety interventions.