Electronic tool helps anaesthesia trainee handovers.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Patient Safety
• Anesthesiology

Background:

• Patient handovers in medicine are prone to communication failures, particularly during complex intraoperative anaesthesiology procedures.
• Standardized communication protocols are crucial for ensuring accurate and complete information transfer during critical care transitions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an electronic handover checklist as an educational tool for anaesthesiology trainees.
• To assess the impact of a standardized checklist on the quality of intraoperative anaesthesiology handovers.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-four anaesthesia trainees participated in an observational study, providing intraoperative handovers both with and without a checklist.
• An observational assessment tool tracked the spontaneous relay, elicited information, or omission of handover items.
• Trainees completed a post-checklist survey on their perceptions of the tool's utility.

Main Results:

• The proportion of spontaneously relayed handover items increased from 54% to 98% with checklist use (p < 0.0001).
• Over 90% of trainees reported improved handover efficiency and communication skills.
• All participants found handovers more thorough and intended to integrate the checklist into practice.

Conclusions:

• A standardized intraoperative checklist effectively enhances the transfer of critical patient information among anaesthesia trainees.
• The electronic checklist serves as a valuable educational tool, improving both the quality of handovers and trainee confidence.