- Center on Health Equity & Access
- Clinical
- Health Care Cost
- Health Care Delivery
- Insurance
- Policy
- Technology
- Value-Based Care
Poor Communication Risks Patient Safety During Emergency Department Handoffs
Patient safety is often at risk during the emergency department to inpatient physician handoff process, which can be subject to complex challenges.
Patient safety is often at risk during the emergency department (ED) to inpatient physician handoff process, which can be subject to complex challenges. A study published in Journal of Hospital Medicine assessed physician perceptions of the process and identified potential barriers to safe patient care in a cross-sectional survey that included all resident, fellow, and faculty physicians directly involved in admission handoffs from the ED.
Admitting physicians reported that vital information was communicated less frequently, and 29% of all respondents reported adverse events related to the handoff, with ineffective communication being the most frequent reason.
"Handoff-related adverse events, a pattern of conflicting physician perceptions, and frequent sequential handoffs were of particular concern," the authors wrote. "Our findings support the need for collaborative efforts to improve interdisciplinary communication."
Read the study: http://bit.ly/1hgjYDH
What Will AI in Health Care Look Like in the Future?
July 10th 2025Artificial intelligence (AI) transforms oncology by enhancing clinical decision-making, improving patient outcomes, and shaping future health care training, as discussed by experts at Tennessee Oncology's “Tech Innovations in Community Oncology."
Read More
