When Duty Calls, Resident Physicians Answer: Learning to Take Transfer Calls.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Transitions of care are prone to errors, impacting patient safety.
• Standardized handoffs are crucial for improving safety during care transitions.
• Limited curricula exist for training residents in interfacility transfer calls and evaluating their performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a workshop on resident confidence and observed behaviors during simulated interfacility transfer calls.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a standardized handoff tool in improving resident performance.

Main Methods:

• A pre- and post-intervention trial was conducted with residents at a children's hospital.
• A 1-hour workshop focused on communication, a standardized handoff tool, and case reviews.
• Behavioral changes were assessed using a simulated environment and a checklist; confidence and knowledge were measured via surveys.

Main Results:

• Simulated call performance scores improved significantly, with a mean increase of 6.52 points (P <.0001).
• Resident-reported confidence, knowledge, and perceived importance of transfer call skills increased significantly (P <.0001).
• 95% of participants completed the post-intervention survey.

Conclusions:

• The workshop effectively improved resident behaviors in simulated interfacility transfer calls.
• Standardized tools and education enhance resident confidence and knowledge, improving transitions of care.
• This intervention demonstrates a practical approach to enhancing patient safety during care transitions.