Long-Term Care Survey Alert

Risk Management:

Get A Grip On Standardizing 'Hand Off' Communications

Time for a huddle to get your team acting in tandem.

If you picture the interdisciplinary staff as a relay team trying to score a winning patient safety record, you want to see them pass the baton smoothly each time they turn over a resident's wellbeing to another caregiver.

Developing a standardized approach to such a process should address the following elements, according to the Joint Commission's Marianna Grachek, MSN, RN:

• The hand-off situation it applies to;
• Who is, or should be, involved in the communication;
• What information should be communicated;
• Diagnoses and current condition of the resident
• Recent changes in condition or treatment
• Anticipated changes in condition or treatment
• What to watch for in the next interval of care
• Opportunities to ask and respond to questions;
• When to use certain techniques (repeat back information); and
• What print or electronic information is available.

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