Students' Critical Incidents Point the Way to Safer Patient Care Transitions

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Communication

Background:

• Faulty communication during patient care transitions causes 80% of serious medical errors.
• Medical student training in care transitions is increasing but lacks evaluation and guidance.
• Primary care transition training needs improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel patient care transition intersession for third-year medical students.
• To assess the impact of a structured communication mnemonic on student preparedness for care transitions.
• To identify student emotional responses and learning outcomes related to patient handoffs.

Main Methods:

• An annual 2-hour intersession incorporating critical incident reports and a structured handoff mnemonic.
• Students analyzed de-identified patient transitions that evoked strong emotional responses.
• Qualitative analysis of student reports and post-session evaluations from 2010-2014.

Main Results:

• Students reacted positively to the intersession, particularly clinician-led discussions.
• Over 90% of critical incidents reported by students involved negative emotions.
• 86% of students intended to use new strategies, with 38% referencing the mnemonic.

Conclusions:

• The intersession was positively received by medical students.
• Students experienced negative emotions regarding patient handoffs but acquired effective communication strategies.
• Continued use of the handoff mnemonic is recommended, emphasizing safe learning environments.