Feedback and Assessment Tools for Handoffs: A Systematic Review.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Professions Education
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Effective resident handoff communication is crucial for medical training.
• No prior systematic reviews have comprehensively examined feedback and evaluation tools for physician handoffs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review existing literature on feedback and assessment tools for inpatient physician handoffs.
• To identify and evaluate tools used in undergraduate and graduate medical education.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of English-language literature from 2008-2015.
• Inclusion of articles on handoff feedback or assessment tools for medical trainees.
• Quality assessment of included articles by two independent abstractors.

Main Results:

• 26 articles and 32 distinct tools met inclusion criteria, primarily for inpatient settings.
• Feedback and/or assessment tools improved handoff content and organization, but less reliably improved process and professionalism.
• The Handoff Clinical Evaluation Exercise was frequently used; few studies focused on validity evidence or utilized simulation.

Conclusions:

• Multiple feedback and assessment tools exist for physician handoffs across specialties.
• Current research on these tools is limited, indicating a need for further investigation.
• These tools offer potential for medical educators to assess and improve trainee handoff skills.