Empowering interprofessional teams to perform effective handoffs through online hybrid simulation education

In recent years, the health care field has recognized the importance of handoff communications, as these crucial events may have serious implications for patient safety if not completed properly. To perform these handoffs correctly, patient information and responsibility must be exchanged accurately and thoroughly between health care providers despite any distractions, interruptions, and/or cultural issues that may exist. To overcome any such obstacles, institutions have experimented with various approaches over the years to determine the best method to ensure the highest probability of effective exchanges. This article describes major barriers that exist to efficient handoff communications and proposes an online, hybrid simulation course as a primary solution to many of the interpersonal obstacles. This highly accessible course uses the dynamic approach of teaching handoff communication with pretests/posttests, videos, a PowerPoint presentation, and interactive exercises. This course emphasizes the importance of teamwork and the SBAR standardization method and has been well received by residents, fellows, and employees of a large health system.