I-PASS: Standardizing handoff process to improve patient care and safety
I-PASS:
Standardizing the Handoff Process to Improve Patient Care and Safety
Presented by
Jennifer Everhart, M.D.
Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine
Pediatric Hospitalist, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford
Nancy Spector, M.D.
Professor of Pediatrics, Drexel University College of Medicine
Associate Dean for Faculty Development, Drexel University College of Medicine
Executive Director, Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine
Chair, I-PASS Executive Council of the I-PASS Institute
Miscommunications, including communication failures at patient handoff, are a leading cause of serious medical errors. The multi-site I-PASS handoff study found that implementation of a bundle of interventions to improve resident physician communication during handoffs of patient care was associated with a 23% reduction in overall rates of medical errors and a 30% reduction in preventable adverse events—medical errors that result in harm to patients. Implementation was also associated with improvements in verbal and written communication without a negative impact on provider workflow or handoff duration. Children’s National is currently re-implementing I-PASS structured handoffs as a member of the Society of Hospital Medicine’s I-PASS Mentored Implementation Program.
Learning Objectives:
Attendees of this session will be able to:
- Describe the role of communication failures in medical errors and preventable adverse events
- Articulate the need for high quality patient handoffs to reduce the likelihood of communication failures
- Describe the implementation of the I-PASS evidence-based handoff bundle and its impact on medical errors and patient safety