Team-Based Simulation for Medical Student Handoff Education

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Patient Safety
• Clinical Communication

Background:

• Effective patient handoffs are crucial for patient safety, especially in complex tertiary care settings.
• Medical students require enhanced education in performing and receiving patient handoffs.
• Current training often lacks sufficient practical experience in multi-step handoffs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate a simulated training exercise for medical students to practice patient handoffs.
• To improve students' ability to communicate essential patient information during transitions of care.
• To assess the impact of structured debriefing on handoff performance.

Main Methods:

• A didactic session on handoff principles followed by small-group simulations.
• Students acted as sequential providers in a simulated hospitalization, practicing handoffs.
• An observer role and structured debriefing sessions were incorporated to provide feedback.

Main Results:

• The simulation was implemented with fourth-year medical students, chief residents, and pediatric clerkship students.
• Participants successfully identified the primary problem in 95% of handoffs.
• Patient acuity and contingency plans were communicated in 90% and 85% of handoffs, respectively.

Conclusions:

• Initial student focus on clinical decisions, rather than handoffs, necessitated adjustments for transparency.
• The structured handoff method effectively improved communication of higher-level patient information.
• The training is adaptable for residents, nurses, and other healthcare professionals in various settings.