Background Patient safety experts have postulated that increasing patient participation in commun... more Background Patient safety experts have postulated that increasing patient participation in communications during patient handovers will improve the quality of patient transitions, and that this may reduce hospital readmissions. Choosing strategies that enhance patient safety through improved handovers requires better understanding of patient experiences and preferences for participation. Objective The aim of this paper is to explore the patients' experiences and perspectives related to the handovers between their primary care ...
Cross-unit handovers transfer responsibility for the patient among healthcare teams in different ... more Cross-unit handovers transfer responsibility for the patient among healthcare teams in different clinical units, with missed information, potentially placing patients at risk for adverse events. We analysed the communications between high-acuity and low-acuity units, their content and social context, and we explored whether common conceptual ground reduced potential threats to patient safety posed by current handover practices. We monitored the communication of five content items using handover probes for 22 patient transitions of care between high-acuity 'sender units' and low-acuity 'recipient units'. Data were analysed and discussed in focus groups with healthcare professionals to acquire insights into the characteristics of the common conceptual ground. High-acuity and low-acuity units agreed about the presence of alert signs in the discharge form in 40% of the cases. The focus groups identified prehandover practices, particularly for anticipatory guidance that r...
Background Safe patient transitions depend on effective communication and a functioning care coor... more Background Safe patient transitions depend on effective communication and a functioning care coordination process. Evidence suggests that primary care physicians are not satisfied with communication at transition points between inpatient and ambulatory care, and that communication often is not provided in a timely manner, omits essential information, or contains ambiguities that put patients at risk. Objective Our aim was to demonstrate how process mapping can illustrate current handover practices between ambulatory and ...
Background Patient safety experts have postulated that increasing patient participation in commun... more Background Patient safety experts have postulated that increasing patient participation in communications during patient handovers will improve the quality of patient transitions, and that this may reduce hospital readmissions. Choosing strategies that enhance patient safety through improved handovers requires better understanding of patient experiences and preferences for participation. Objective The aim of this paper is to explore the patients' experiences and perspectives related to the handovers between their primary care ...
Cross-unit handovers transfer responsibility for the patient among healthcare teams in different ... more Cross-unit handovers transfer responsibility for the patient among healthcare teams in different clinical units, with missed information, potentially placing patients at risk for adverse events. We analysed the communications between high-acuity and low-acuity units, their content and social context, and we explored whether common conceptual ground reduced potential threats to patient safety posed by current handover practices. We monitored the communication of five content items using handover probes for 22 patient transitions of care between high-acuity 'sender units' and low-acuity 'recipient units'. Data were analysed and discussed in focus groups with healthcare professionals to acquire insights into the characteristics of the common conceptual ground. High-acuity and low-acuity units agreed about the presence of alert signs in the discharge form in 40% of the cases. The focus groups identified prehandover practices, particularly for anticipatory guidance that r...
Background Safe patient transitions depend on effective communication and a functioning care coor... more Background Safe patient transitions depend on effective communication and a functioning care coordination process. Evidence suggests that primary care physicians are not satisfied with communication at transition points between inpatient and ambulatory care, and that communication often is not provided in a timely manner, omits essential information, or contains ambiguities that put patients at risk. Objective Our aim was to demonstrate how process mapping can illustrate current handover practices between ambulatory and ...
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