Effect of audit and feedback on improving handovers: a nonrandomized comparative study.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Patient Safety
• Health Informatics

Background:

• High-quality resident handovers are crucial for patient safety.
• Increased duty hour regulations have led to more frequent patient handovers.
• Standardized approaches, electronic systems, and education can enhance handover processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of an electronic handover system versus a standard card-based system.
• To assess the impact of real-time feedback on handover quality.

Main Methods:

• A 2-phase observational study compared electronic and card-based handover systems.
• Outcome measures included handover completeness, accuracy, and resident perceptions.
• Phase 2 introduced standardized feedback using the electronic system.

Main Results:

• Errors decreased from 16.1% in controls to 5.2% in the experimental group after feedback (P < .001).
• 38 residents perceived the electronic system as facilitating better patient care (67% agreement).
• 3184 patient sign-outs were evaluated over 11 months.

Conclusions:

• Real-time feedback via an electronic handover system improves handover accuracy and completeness.
• Electronic systems with feedback enhance patient care and safety during resident handovers.