A Multimodal Intervention Improves Postanesthesia Care Unit Handovers.

Area of Science:

• Perioperative Medicine
• Healthcare Communication
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Communication failures are a significant cause of perioperative adverse events.
• Transitions of care, particularly postoperative handovers, are vulnerable periods.
• Improving handover communication is crucial for patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance postoperative handovers between anesthesia providers (APs) and postanesthesia care unit (PACU) registered nurses (RNs).
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a multimodal intervention designed to improve interprofessional communication during patient handovers.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a multimodal intervention including standardized electronic forms, webinars, and simulation training in adult and pediatric PACUs.
• Observation and rating of 981 PACU handovers using a structured tool over 17 months.
• Multivariate logistic regression to assess the intervention's impact on handover effectiveness.

Main Results:

• The percentage of acceptable handovers significantly increased post-intervention, reaching 57% in adult PACUs and showing sustained improvement over three years (87%).
• The intervention demonstrated effectiveness even among clinicians who did not receive direct simulation training.
• Similar positive trends were observed in both adult and pediatric PACUs.

Conclusions:

• A multimodal intervention effectively improved interprofessional communication during PACU handovers.
• The positive effects of the intervention on handover quality were sustained long-term.
• Simulation-based training and standardized communication tools enhance patient safety during care transitions.