Cognitive aid in telecommunication information handover - prospective field experimental open-label study

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Emergency Medicine
• Healthcare Communication

Background:

• Clinical handovers are critical for patient safety, with poor communication leading to adverse events.
• Standardized tools are increasingly important for effective information transfer between healthcare providers.
• Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to in-hospital transitions require robust communication protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a standardized pre-notification handover process.
• To assess a cognitive aid tool based on the ATMIST acronym for EMS to hospital communication.
• To determine if patient condition influences information transfer accuracy.

Main Methods:

• A prospective field test of a standardized ATMIST-based handover tool was conducted in 11 Prague hospitals.
• Two protocols (EMS Dispatch to Crews, Hospital Dispatch from EMS) were used and compared.
• Information transfer accuracy was monitored, and awareness levels were assessed.

Main Results:

• Analysis of 269 protocols revealed 82.78% of information was transferred correctly.
• No significant differences were found in information transfer based on the patient's clinical condition.
• Healthcare provider awareness did not vary between groups based on ATMIST form usage.

Conclusions:

• This study is the first to evaluate a standardized telecommunication handover tool for EMS.
• The ATMIST tool demonstrated effectiveness in improving information transfer during pre-hospital to hospital communication.
• Patient clinical status was not a determining factor in the accuracy of information transfer using this tool.