Hospital Residents Report Patient-handoff Problems Common, Can Lead To Patient Harm
Thursday, September 25, 2008 - 17:28
in Health & Medicine
A significant percentage of resident physicians report that patient handoffs -- transfer of responsibility for a hospitalized patient from one resident to another -- contributed to incidents in which harm was done to patients. A new study identifies situations in which problematic handoffs are more likely to occur and factors that may interfere with the smooth transfer of crucial information.