Handoff Communication and Electronic Health Records

When transferring patient care responsibilities across the healthcare continuum, clinicians strive to communicate safely and effectively, but communication failures exist that threaten patient safety. Although researchers are making great strides in understanding and solving intraservice handoff problems, inter-service transition communication remains underexplored. Further, electronic health records (EHRs) figure prominently in healthcare delivery, but less is known about how EHRs contribute to inter-service handoffs.

This descriptive, qualitative study uses Sensemaking Theory to explore EHR-facilitated, inter-service handoffs occurring between emergency medicine and internal/hospitalist medicine physicians. The researchers conducted six focus groups with 16 attending physicians and medical residents at a major Midwestern academic hospital. Findings suggest clinicians hold varied expectations for information content and relational communication/style. Their expectations contribute to making sense of uncertain handoff situations and communication best practices. Participants generally perceive EHRs as tools that, when used appropriately, can enhance handoffs and patient care continuity. Ideas for practical applications are offered based on study results.