Challenges Associated With Patient Transfer From Postanesthesia Care Unit to Surgical Unit in Iran: A Mixed-Method...

This study aimed to explore the entire spectrum of challenges associated with the process of patient transfer from the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) to the surgical unit.

The study employed a mixed-method design with concurrent triangulation approach.

The study was conducted during July-December 2018 at three teaching hospitals affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. A total of 23 health-care providers involved with the patient transfer process from the PACU and surgical unit were recruited. Data were collected using quantitative and qualitative approaches. The quantitative study included 25 structured observations. The qualitative study included 12 unstructured observations, individual semistructured in-depth interviews (n = 13), and focused group sessions (n = 3). Data were managed using MAXQDA.10 software and analyzed using SPSS software (version 22.0).

Based on qualitative data, 4 main categories and 14 subcategories were extracted. The main categories were "Multifarious Activities of Nurses", "Insufficient Organizational Resources", "Task-oriented Approach", and "Deficient Professional Performance". Results showed that 51% of patient-specific information, 64% of anesthesia information, and 74% of surgical information was not transferred during patient handoffs.

Insufficient organizational resources and deficient professional performance were identified as the main challenges associated with the transfer process of postoperative patients. Our findings provide a better understanding of these challenges and encourage health policymakers and planners to resolve these issues to promote patient safety during handoffs.