Implementation and Evaluation of a Patient Handoff Tool to Improve Nurse to Nurse Communication

Poorly conducted handoffs are implicated in 80% of preventable adverse events in healthcare facilities. As a result, The Joint Commission (TJC) (2017) calls on healthcare organizations to implement a standardized, evidence-based communication approach such as the Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR) tool. SBAR is recognized by TJC, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and the World Health Organization (WHO) as an effective communication tool, which when used in patient handoffs, improves communication, reduces adverse events, and promotes patient safety.