The transition of patient care: Exploring the outcomes of prehospital to hospital patient handover practices and healthcare provider education

Introduction

Inadequate patient handover is linked to numerous medical errors and lapses in communication between hospital healthcare providers and prehospital healthcare providers. Undergraduate healthcare curricula may limit programme-specific education on patient handover and shift learning to informal learning opportunities. This study aimed to investigate the outcomes of qualified healthcare provider (HCPs) educational programmes to determine the adequacy of handover practices, the source of their training, and their interprofessional acceptance of these practices.

Methods

A multi-method study design was used – a document analysis of HCP programme outcomes and a two-section questionnaire. The questionnaire was sent to HCPs to determine the impact of patient handover practices on current healthcare systems and their opinion on whether the training on handovers is sufficient.

Results

HCPs indicated little educational interaction regarding patient handover. Most participants felt handover education relied predominantly on informal training. With their existing knowledge, many HCPs revealed that they were comfortable in handing over a patient. Little interprofessional confidence regarding patient handover information indicates minimal interprofessional collaboration toward standardised approaches for patient handover.

Conclusion

This study indicates a lack of standardised handover procedures, which leads to HCP self-interpretations. There is low trust between HCPs regarding information received. The study highlights the need for standardised handover training in healthcare curricula to improve patient safety and interprofessional collaboration.