A peer-to-peer handoff tool to ease clerkship transitions

Frequent transitions between core clinical rotations in medical school increase anxiety and cognitive load. Few formalized programs exist to ease these transitions. Our institutional needs-assessment found that approximately 85% of students believed that additional rotation-specific information prior to starting a new rotation would reduce anxiety and increase success.

We developed a novel web-based peer-to-peer handoff tool available to all clerkship students at a single, large academic institution. The tool contains the names and contact information of students who most recently completed rotations on each service for all clerkships. A handoff checklist was also created with suggested discussion points for handoffs. Students were encouraged to schedule a handoff 1-2 weeks before starting a new rotation.

Overall, 83 students (66%) utilized the handoff tool, with use and efficacy decreasing with time during the clinical year. Of tool users, 65% expressed that having access to the tool prior to starting a new rotation helped to reduce anxiety, and 74% felt that the information gained helped to ease transitions. Our peer-to-peer handoff tool may help students feel more prepared to start a new rotation, decrease anxiety during clerkship year, and ease transitions.

This low-resource intervention may be implemented at other institutions to provide students with equal opportunities to receive valuable information prior to starting new rotations, regardless of pre-existing peer connections. An automated update system, which we are implementing at our institution, could greatly decrease the time required to maintain a handoff tool and improve sustainability.